+ Lake Plain
Near Lake Erie, through the
City of Cleveland, the
Cuyahoga River flows through the section of Plain known as the
Lake Plain. The Lake Plain abruptly rises 30 to 50 feet from the
Lake Erie shoreline in most places. Natural access from the Lake to land is located where rivers
and creeks empty into the Lake. Near Downtown Cleveland man-made fill areas have created shoreline
at the Lake level that extends out from the base of the bluff 1,600 to 2,000 feet. At
Burke Lakefront Airport the man-made
fill extends out from the bluff approximately 3,000 feet. A challenge exists in integrating the
man-made lakefront environments with the main part of the City which is located at the top of the
bluff.
Land within the Lake Plain is relatively flat to an elevation of approximately
700 feet. The flat plain is interrupted by the Cuyahoga River Valley and by smaller valleys of
tributaries (many of which have been buried). Ancient beach ridges of higher level lakes that
preceded Lake Erie are located inland and generally parallel to the current shoreline. These ridges
formed the routes of many of the major roadways that cross the Lake Plain. The relative flatness of
the Lake Plain promoted the grid street pattern that is characteristic of much of the City of
Cleveland and was also conducive to the use of the streetcar as a major transportation mode.
The smoothness of the Lake Plain was also ideal for the location of railroads.
Major lines were located along the lakeshore and also along the base of the escarpment that rose to
the east and south. As the Lake Plain broadened along the southern shore of Lake Erie west of
Cleveland, a number of routes split off inland and away from the lakeshore route. Locally, the
valleys of rivers and creeks were also used as corridors for rail lines as they provided a natural
gradual gradient between areas of varying elevations. Industrial uses eventually located along the
rail corridors, which were the highways of the late 19th century.
