Emilia Sykes

FAIRLAWN — On July 11, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-District 13) presented a $1.2 million ceremonial check to the City of Fairlawn for its Rosemont Preserve Restoration Project. The presentation took place at the city’s inaugural Fairlawn Fest. Shown above is Fairlawn City Councilwoman Tracy Bess-Wilmington (Ward 2), Fairlawn Mayor Russell Sharnsky, Sykes, State Rep. Veronica Sims (D-District 33) and Fairlawn City Council President Jonathon Groza (at large).

“Investing in projects that protect our communities and our natural resources is an investment in Northeast Ohio’s future,” Skyes said in a press release. “The Rosemont Preserve Restoration Project will improve water quality, reduce flooding, restore critical wildlife habitat and make our communities more resilient for generations to come. I was proud to secure this federal funding because projects like this improve the quality of life throughout Ohio’s 13th Congressional District. I’m grateful to the City of Fairlawn for their commitment to preserving this important natural resource and ensuring our communities are better prepared for the future.”

The project will restore more than 9,000 linear feet of Schocalog Run’s stream channel, rehabilitate 30 acres of flood-controlling wetlands and remove one low-head dam and one 10-foot-high dam to restore fish passage, according to the release. According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Biological and Water Quality Study of the Tuscarawas River and select tributaries, Schocalog Run’s ecological community has ranged from poor to fair, with habitat quality identified as poor. These improvements will help address long-standing environmental concerns by reducing flooding and erosion, improving biodiversity and enhancing overall water quality.

These changes will mitigate flooding and diminish downstream erosion in Copley, Norton and Barberton, according to the release.

“The level of effort Congresswoman Sykes put forth in securing a Community Project Funding [(CPF)] Grant is truly remarkable,” said Fairlawn Mayor Russell Sharnsky. “The CPF for the Rosemont Preserve will help this passive park with trails, wayfinding and various other infrastructure needed to make it ‘world class.’”

The project is set to deliver around 4 million gallons of flood storage capacity, reducing the loss of property and damage to water quality that typically occurs during flooding. This project will also restore 12% of the entire Schocalog Run from a ditch to a two-stage stream, creating a warm-water habitat that promotes biodiversity.