Go Green Program
Educational Outreach
The City of Westlake, Department of Engineering has teamed up with Cuyahoga County, Soil and Water Conservation District to raise awareness of storm water quality and teach a sustainable life style.
Cuyahoga SWCD, offers various educational opportunities and resources
- Special Programs
- Workshops
- Events
- academic experiences that both engage and educate the public about current natural resource issues.
- Weekly Blog
Stormwater Control Measure Maintenance Tips
Educational services are also provided through print media and include the On the Land newsletter, informational brochures, posters and pamphlets.
The Root Flare Army
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District has launched a virtual Arbor Day spanning the entire week, April 20-24, with blogs, videos, storytelling etc.
The organization also introduced its ‘Let the Flare See the Air’ program, designed to get citizens involved in identifying locations with poorly planted trees. During last year’s Tree Care and Root Flare workshop, participants learned how trees often are planted too low and with mulch piled around them in a volcano formation. This is so harmful to the trees and in 10 years or less they will need to be replaced!
What can you do to help:
Join the Root Flare Army and help identify locations that have improperly planted trees.
What will be done:
A member of the organization will contact the property owners to bring such issues to their attention with the intent of assisting them to correct the situation and not make these choices in the future.
To learn more about this program, follow this link:
https://www.cuyahogaswcd.org/programs/let-the-flare-see-the-air
CANCELLED: 2020 Rain & Garden Show
The City of Westlake and the Westlake Watershed Group have cancelled the 2020 Rain & Garden Show, scheduled for April 4 at Market Square in Crocker Park. This year we had planned on extending the Kid Zone by an additional hour, with child passport stops around each corner and door prizes awarded every half hour starting at 11:30 a.m., as well as some other new event features.
Our intended theme for this year’s event was to be native plants. Native plants are indigenous to a given geographic area in geologic time. When creating a small garden or restoring acres of land you should choose to plant native plants. These plants support local wildlife and play a huge role in soil and water conservation. Native plants offer solutions to environmental problems along with the assortment of colors shapes and textures are eye catching.
To learn more on why you should plant native, please visit Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
2019 Rain & Garden Show
The City of Westlake and the Westlake Watershed Group hosted another outstanding Rain & Garden Show in April 2019 at Market Square in Crocker Park, which was FREE and open to the public. The Kid Zone was a huge hit with the face painter, balloon clown and our special guest star, Michael Roy, Cirque du Papier Opens a New Window. .
If you were unable to come to the show and would like to see the vendor information please feel free to browse through our vendor handout. If you were an exhibitor, we’d like to extend a special thanks you we could not have a successful show with out your participation. Please feel free to email Opens a New Window. us with any questions or comments on our show, with the subject line: 2019 Rain and Garden Show.
2019 Rain & Garden Show Children’s Contests
The City of Westlake and the Westlake Watershed Group have come up with four contest this year for different grade levels, we were inundated with submissions! What creativity the children of Westlake have! It was a tough choice but we have narrowed down the winners and they are as follows.
The first place winner’s classroom will receive a $50.00 Mystery Gift.
This year’s contests were be judge by the Cities Employees and the Westlake Water Shed Group.
Coloring Contest
1st Place Winner, Seraphina 1st Grade at Dover Elementary School
2nd Place Winner, Emma 1st Grade at Holly Lane Elementary School
3rd Place Winner, Max Pre-K at Montessori Children's School
Drawing Contest
1st Place Winner, Brandan 4th Grade at Holly Lane
2nd Place Winner, Blake 5th Grade at Dover Intermediate School
3rd Place Winner, Zoe 2nd Grade at Dover Elementary School
Poetry Contest
1st Place Winner, Jack 5th Grade at Dover Intermediate School
2nd Place Winner, Jude 5th Grade at Dover Intermediate School
Third place was a tie!
3rd Place Winner, Caroline 5th Grade at Dover Intermediate School
3rd Place Winner, Blake 5th Grade at Dover Intermediate School
Recycling Contest
1st Place Winner, Class project by Montessori Children's School
2nd Place Winner, Brandan 4th Grade at Holly Lane Elementary School
3rd Place Winner, Joshua 6th Grade at Dover Intermediate School
Public Input Sought for Cahoon Creek-Porter Creek Watershed Plan
Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District is working with Chagrin River Watershed Partners and West Creek Conservancy to develop a watershed management plan for the Cahoon Creek-Porter Creek watershed. The plan will formally identify causes and sources of water quality and habitat degradation in the watershed and recommend overall strategies and specific projects to address these issues.
In October and November 2018, public open houses were held in North Olmsted and Bay Village, respectively, to explain the process and to gather information and ideas from the community about the watershed.
Chagrin River Watershed Partners is hosting several surveys to continue to solicit information for the development of watershed plans in Northeast Ohio.
Go directly to the survey for the Cahoon Creek - Porter Creek Watershed Plan
Important Reminder
All storm water flows directly into Lake Erie untreated. It is our duty as Westlake residents
to be conscious of our environment for future generations.
Westlake Watershed Group
Next meeting: CANCELLED Friday, March 13, 2020 at 7:30 a.m., Westlake City Hall
The City of Westlake is determined to assist our residents and our world by working to improve the quality of life and our environment through keeping our local waterways clean and sustainable. Should you have any questions about what the city can do for you or has already done, please contact us by email or call 440-617-4145.
The City’s environmental education and involvement projects are directed by our citizen’s committee, the Westlake Watershed Group. The group is made up of Westlake residents, business people and employees. Please join us to lend a voice and a hand, at our meetings. We hold them at least 4 times a year at City Hall. During the meeting there is a continental breakfast provided. Please join us!
Subscribe to Receive Email Notices
Subscribe to receive notices of meetings, volunteer projects such as the stream cleanups, Rain and Garden Show flyer, etc.! Please send an email with the subject line of "Westlake Watershed" and the word "subscribe" in the body to engdept@cityofwestlake.org to opt-in.
Learn more about the Westlake Watershed Group