Cuyahoga named ‘River of the Year’ 50 years after it caught fire

Fifty years after the Cuyahoga River caught fire and became the butt of national jokes, the waterway has been named “River of the Year” by the conservation group American Rivers.

“The Cuyahoga is a national success story,” American Rivers President and CEO Bob Irvin said in a prepared statement. “The ‘River of the Year’ honor spotlights the hard work and collaboration by so many in Cleveland to improve the Cuyahoga’s health and turn it into a true asset for the city’s residents and visitors.”

The Washington, D.C.-based group noted that the river became a turning point in the fight for clean water and healthy rivers nationwide and helped spur the Clean Water Act in 1972 after it caught fire on June 22, 1969...read more.