A new safety tool makes close-to-real-time condition reports for the Cuyahoga River available to kayakers, canoers and anyone else who uses the river.

The Cuyahoga River Conditions Tool, or CUYAC (pronounced kayak), was announced Tuesday by the partners who manage the Cuyahoga River Water Trail.

The tool was developed by the City of Akron, which also funded the first signs along the river’s path that alert those in the water to its conditions, according to a press release from the city. 

Last June, the death of a father and his 5-year-old son in the river were grim reminders of the dangers posed by natural environments, including the Cuyahoga, despite the allure of the water on a hot day.

Rescue personnel continue to search the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls for Patrick Cross after his inner tube overturned. The body of Cross' 5-year-old son Braxton was found on Sunday.
Rescue personnel search the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls in June 2025 for Patrick Cross after his inner tube overturned. The body of Cross’ 5-year-old son Braxton was found earlier. (Screenshot courtesy of WKYC Studios)

CUYAC is a GIS map-based system that combines multiple sources of credible, frequently updated data on river and weather conditions for public access sections of the Cuyahoga River. 

The system identifies risk level by color.  

  • Teal means lower-risk conditions. Those accessing the river should still use caution and stay alert for hazards, but conditions are generally favorable.
  • Yellow means high-risk conditions exist. The weather, low/high flow conditions, and/or temperatures pose heightened risk to those who access the river. Caution should be exercised.
  • Orange means extreme risk. The river conditions are hazardous, and it is best not to enter the waterway. Keep your distance from the bank as well.
The Cuyahoga River winds around a grassy area visible from the Prather trail at Cascade Valley Metro Park. (Ryan Loew / Signal Akron)
The Cuyahoga River winds around a grassy area visible from the Prather trail at Cascade Valley Metro Park. (Ryan Loew / Signal Akron)

Hazards on the Cuyahoga River are always a consideration

CUYAC is intended to be an additional tool and should not replace an assessment of risk based on an individual’s skill, experience, competence and comfort level with constantly changing conditions, the Cuyahoga River Water Trail partners emphasized in the release.

The release also stressed that: 

  • The risk of injury or death is inherent in all conditions.
  • A personal flotation device is always recommended.
  • In every scenario, users enter the river at their own risk. 

The system identifies where there are rapids, no-paddle zones, low-flow conditions and where public access points are “take out only” on the river map.  

The online map uses data from the National Weather Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and participating local jurisdictions to provide a simplified, user-friendly initial risk assessment of accessing the waterway for each section of the Cuyahoga River. 

The first CUYAC signs are limited to six locations, but more will be added throughout the length of the Cuyahoga River. View a map of the sign locations here. Visitors to the river can scan the QR code on the new safety signs near river access points or visit bit.ly/CUYACmap. 

View the mapping tool with the risk conditions here.  

For additional information about the Cuyahoga River Water Trail, go to www.cuyahogariverwatertrail.org. 

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.