BOSTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- The Buffalo, New York district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a second contract to continue and complete the restoration of Stanford Run, a stream in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The $186,000 contract was awarded last month to Buffalo-based Armitage Architecture and includes the excavation of Stanford Run to restore connectivity. The work is on track for completion by the end of the year.

Chris David, plant ecologist at CVNP, said the project will restore the stream to its “historic condition.”

“This restoration will improve water quality in the Cuyahoga River, reduce flooding in the Stanford area, improve habitat for fish and wildlife and create a better experience for park visitors,” David said.

The Corps of Engineers awarded an initial $425,000 contract in November 2018 to Michigan-based Ryba Marine Construction Company for the project. Their crews began working in the spring and have installed an upgraded culvert to connect Stanford Run to the Cuyahoga River under the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail near Peninsula.

The new workers will be excavating further down the channel so water can flow under the Stanford Road bridge in Boston Township.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has helped pay for both contracts through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The project was coordinated with the National Park Service and CVNP.

Corps of Engineers project manager Russ Brandenburg said he is excited to see the restoration completed.

“Now the Corps can complete this important project contributing to the health and well-being of our local waterways, helping with things such as flood retention and improved water quality,” Brandenburg said.

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