For two centuries, the Cuyahoga River has been the geographic and economic center of the Greater Cleveland area. The River's name is derived from the Mohawk work for "crooked", which refers to the many twists and turns in the River's course. The natural depth of the Cuyahoga River is 3 to 6 feet, but from its mouth to approximately 5 miles to the south, it is dredged to a depth of 26 feet by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accomodate ship traffic that serves the industries located on the River. During the past 150 years, the Cuyahoga has also been straightened and widened in numerous places.

During the late 1800's, the River became a linchpin of Cleveland's industrial revolution with the growing presence of oil refineries, chemical manufacturers, steel production, and other related businesses along its banks. Environmental degredation eventually caused debris and chemicals on the River to infamously catch fire in 1969, influencing the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the modern environmental movement, and the securing of the national commitment to clean up America's waterways through the 1972 Water Pollution Control Act.