The topography in south-central and southeastern Cuyahoga County consists of a rolling glaciated upland that is intersected by major tributary valleys on both the east and west sides of the Cuyahoga River. These upper areas represent the northwest margin of the Allegheny Plateau.

Secondary Escarpment. West of the Cuyahoga River, a major sub-area of the Plateau is defined by a secondary escarpment roughly paralleling the Cuyahoga forming a large lobe of higher land. This secondary escarpment affords many locations with excellent views of the valley. These higher elevation areas often experience a greater amount of snowfall than nearby locations at lower elevations.

Defiance Moraine. These Upper Plateau areas are also crossed by the Defiance Moraine which runs through parts of North Royalton, Broadview Heights and Brecksville on the west side and through Walton Hills, Bedford and Maple Heights on toward the "Hillcrest" communities of Cuyahoga County's east side. The position of the Moraine has impacted the routes of Tinker's and Chippewa Creeks.

Native Vegetation. Historically the highlands east of the Cuyahoga were populated by a beech-sugar maple climax forest which also included trees such red maple, tulip, white ash, cucumber and tupelo. Near the ridges and tops of slopes oaks and chestnuts were more numerous. Because of a more sloped topography, the southern highlands west of the Cuyahoga were generally oak and chestnut with beech and maple in abundance on the flatter highlands.

Inner-Ring Suburbs. The Upper Plateau includes many of the City of Cleveland's southern suburbs. The northern section of the Upper Plateau was developed during the post-World War II housing boom in a relatively dense pattern. Like development within the City, many of the smaller tributaries were buried or culverted during construction. These neighborhoods are served by separate sanitary and storm sewer systems. The area is characterized by a high amount of impervious surface and heavy rain falls create surges in water volumes in the storm sewer system that has negative impacts on waterways.

Newer Suburbs. Further away from the City of Cleveland many of the suburban neighborhoods are newer and are currently facing the pressure of new development. In some of the older developments in this area on-site septic systems replace sanitary sewers for treating waste. Failing systems are a concern. Filling, culverting and channelization of waterways as part of new development and transportation projects are major threats to these areas and should be strongly discouraged.