Northern hog
sucker
-- The diverse habitat of the Cuyahoga River provides a home for a
variety of different species. Within the river itself there are fish,
amphibians,and many types of macroinvertebrates. One type of
macroinvertabrates are benthic macroinvertebrates. They are
small, bottom dwelling organisms that can be seen with the naked eye.
In the Cuyahoga River most of the bethnic macroinvertebrates are
stonefly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, midge larvae and
other types of aquatic insects. These aquatic insects follow three
stages in their incomplete metamorphosis. The three stages of life
are egg, nymph, and adult. The winged adult version of the dragonfly
is a common sight along the Cuyahoga River. The River's fish
population is always increasing. Good size walleye, northern
pike, and bass are found in the Upper River. Some of the fish found
in the section of the river flowing through Cuyahoga County are the
eastern gizzard shad, freshwater drum, common carp, northern hog
sucker, goldfish, quillback carpsucker,golden shiner, northern
largemouth blackbass, northern bluegill sunfish, green sunfish,
warmouth sunfish, grass pickerel, northern pike, yellow perch,
channel catfish, black bullhead, white perch, different species of
minnow, and many others. Many non-aquatic organisms also live around
the River's banks. If you travel along the Cuyahoga, especially the
upper section, which is a designated scenic river, you are
likely to find a beaver making a dam. You can also find great blue
heron, turtles, ducks, geese, and many other forms of wildlife.
Northern hog
sucker
-- Benthic macroinvertebrates are good indicators of
water quality because they are
sensitive to the River's changes, they cannot escape the River's
pollution, they are easily collected and they have a one year
lifespan. The diversity and the population of these organisms reflect
how healthy or unhealthy the River may be. Some organisms that are
sensitive to pollution are mayflies, stoneflies, riffle beetles, and
some caddisflies. A healthy population of these organisms indicates
nonpolluted waters . However, if a river contains a large number of
pollution tolerant organisms, like sludge worms and leeches, along
with few or no pollution sensitive species, then the river water may
very well be polluted. Fish can also be used as indicators of
water quality. Pollution sensitive species of fish found in the
Cuyahoga River are the common shiner, hornyhead chub, river chub,
rock bass, log perch, yellow bullhead, blutnose minnow, and the
spotted sucker. Pollution tolerant and intermediate species include
the white sucker, pumpkinseed sunfish, the spotted sucker, goldfish,
common carp, white perch, and gizzard shad.
-- The Cuyahoga River's pollution has a strong effect on the organisms living in and around it. For example, fish caught along the entire length of the River below the Edison Dam were found to have elevated levels of PCB's (polychlorinatedbenzene)and certain pesticides. However this level of pollutants does not exceed the national standard and therefore there is no fish contamination advisory. The percentage of fish found in the Cuyahoga River that have tumors and/or external problems has decreased since 1984. But it is interesting to note that the percentage of fish having tumors and/or external problems is higher in the urbanized area of the Cuyahoga River's watershed as compared to the non-urban areas of the watershed.
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