The Nature Preserve is a land mass created by the placement of dredged sediment within dike walls along the lakeshore. From 1979 to 1999, it was managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a disposal site for dredged materials. The disposal facility, known as Dike 14, was closed to sediment in 1999. Then, nature took hold. The site, which has been renamed the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve, is managed by the Port and has become a habitat for a diverse collection of flora and fauna. In recent years, community volunteers have identified more than 280 species of birds, numerous butterflies, more than a dozen species of mammals and reptiles (including red fox, coyote, mink, and deer), and dozens of trees, shrubs, and native Ohio wildflowers and grasses. The landscape at the Preserve includes coastal areas, mudflats, wetlands, grasslands, forests, meadows, and shrub lands. The preserve is largely in an undisturbed state and currently has some basic trails.

The Preserve provides a one-of-a kind lakefront setting for bird watching just a few miles away from downtown Cleveland. Audubon Ohio has designated the Nature Preserve as an Important Bird Area (IBA), due to its location at the intersection of four migratory bird routes: Lake Erie, the shore of Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga River Valley, and the Doan Brook Valley. It also presents other recreational and educational opportunities for children and adults.

Several community environmental groups have played a role in advocating for the resources at the Nature Preserve. The Environmental Education Collaborative, formed in 2003, has focused on promoting environmental stewardship and multi-disciplinary environmental education. A risk assessment completed in 2007 showed the site can safely be used for environmental education.

The Port plans to continue working with the Collaborative and others in the community to maximize educational and environmental opportunities.

More information on Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve can be found at www.dike14.org.