Together with the steep slopes of the Cuyahoga Valley, waterways are the Valley's defining features. The Cuyahoga River and its many tributaries give structure not just to the natural systems and ecology of the Valley, but also provide the underlying logic which shaped development patterns, including where we live, work, recreate and travel to and through the Valley.

The health of the entire system of waterways determines whether the Valley is a place of prosperity and genuine community. The waterways are the foundation for the Valley's renewal.