We the undersigned are residents of Rocky River, OH or the surrounding communities, and like many others we use the Rocky River for recreational or business purposes. However, our safety and enjoyment are increasingly at risk due to the river's deteriorating navigability due to shoaling and receding lake levels.   The Rocky River channel is quickly losing its capacity to serve as a Federal harbor of safe refuge because of this issue.

The Army Corps of Engineers has the responsibility, expertise, and resources necessary to dredge the river and restore it back to a safe condition - but has not received funding to complete any dredging of the river since 2004.  Their most recent soundings indicate that most of the river channel is 3’ to 5’ and 1’ to 3’ in the anchorage basin, well below previous years.  These depths make the channel and anchorage unusable for many of the users who access Lake Erie from the multiple marinas located on the river, as well as the over three million visitors to the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation.

The Army Corps of Engineers desperately needs emergency funding from Congress to carry out this critical task.  We urge our representatives in Washington to recognize this urgent issue affecting our community and make an emergency declaration to release funds to the Army Corps of Engineers so they can commence their work on dredging the Rocky River immediately.

Your signature will help us ensure that our beloved river remains navigable, safe for recreation, and continues serving as a harbor of refuge. Please sign this petition today!

Photo credit:  By Ken Winters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library