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State, local and federal officials broke ground on Saturday on the of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail in Cleveland. 

The final section will run from Tremont to and should be done by 2021.

Tom Yablonsky co-founded , which has helped develop the Towpath Trail. He says this final piece is more than just the culmination of decades of planning.

鈥淭he towpath is 鈥� in Cleveland 鈥� not just a trail. It鈥檚 a greenway. And there are many important trailheads. So this is really the anchor trailhead. It鈥檚 either the alpha or the omega of the whole system; all 101 miles. You either start in Cleveland or you end in Cleveland.鈥�

Of the three other sections in Cleveland, the one is done. The is slated for completion this summer. And officials say the -- through the Industrial Valley 鈥� should be finished by the end of this year.

A new pump station
Officials from the helped highlight the rebirth of the Cuyahoga River with the opening of a new pump station in Canal Basin Park.

The station is part of the sewer district鈥檚 work under a  to keep sewer overflows out of Northeast Ohio鈥檚 water by 2036.

Julius Ciaccia retired as CEO of the district in 2016. He says the work on  has helped expand the agency鈥檚 focus on the region鈥檚 entire watershed.

鈥淣ot only our watershed, but other entities [and] other communities need to look at their watersheds. We can鈥檛 just focus on the lake or the river. We鈥檝e got to look within the watersheds and expand what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�

Ciaccia adds that the region will also need to focus in the future on blue-green algae linked to agricultural and stormwater runoff.

Rowing on the river
Everything from canoes to power boats were on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland over the weekend as part of the anniversary of the 1969 fire that sparked an environmental movement.

In The Flats, the kicked off its summer league on Saturday. Kerry Pachla from Avon Lake has been rowing with the group for close to two decades and says the river鈥檚 rebirth is encouraging.

鈥淲ell, compared to when we first started, it's been a huge difference. You would see lots of dead rats floating by and things like that. The smells would be really bad. When we get a storm, there's stuff that comes in. But I mean, that's just nature working.鈥�

Along with the rowing league, the second annual event took place at nearby Merwin鈥檚 Wharf, attracting about 250 people.

Blazing Paddles
Organizers say the goal is to celebrate the river鈥檚 rebirth, by encouraging people to support infrastructure and legislation that helps keep the water clean.

Gerry James is with the series of events for paddlers of all skills levels. His organization co-sponsored Blazing Paddles, an event he says is a model for bringing people from all walks of life together around waterways like the Cuyahoga.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 looking for in events is exactly what we have here: we鈥檙e looking for diversity. We鈥檙e looking for inclusivity. But we鈥檙e also looking for that environmental advocacy component.鈥�

This year鈥檚 attracted about three times as many people as last year.

The celebrations also included the X-Tinguish Torch Fest, which  up the river in Geauga County on Wednesday, passed through Kent on Thursday, Akron and the on Friday, before arriving in Cleveland on Saturday.