Buckeye Lake, constructed as a canal feeder
lake in 1826, is Ohio's oldest state park. The park has long been a popular
vacation spot and today offers endless water-related recreational
opportunities including swimming, skiing, boating and fishing.
Area Attractions
Hebron Fish Hatchery is located
just north of Buckeye Lake on Canal Road. Administered by the ODNR Division of
Wildlife, the area is open to the public. The ponds, trails and woodlots at
the area provide excellent bird-watching opportunities. Over 250 species of
birds have been recorded at the hatchery.
Dawes Arboretum is a non-profit private
foundation engaged in scientific education in horticulture, natural history
and arboretum history. The arboretum is open from dawn to dusk everyday except
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Dawes is located on S.R. 13 just
north of I-70 near the east-end of Buckeye Lake. For information call (614)
323-1255.
Other local attractions include Flint Ridge
Memorial and Moundbuilders Park in Newark, both operated by the Ohio
Historical Society.
Nature of the Area
At one time, the ground now known as Buckeye
Lake was swampland resulting from glaciation. Thousands of years ago the
glaciers moved south across Ohio altering drainage systems and landscape.
Natural lakes, known as kettles, were created when huge chunks of ice broke
off the glacier and melted in depressions. Other lakes were formed when the
glacier blocked existing water outlets. As time progressed, clay and silt
settled out of the still water into the bottom of the lakes.
Today as we study the landscape, we can learn
of the old lake locations by the nature of the underlying clay and silt. The
large area of fine clay sediment in the Buckeye Lake region indicates that the
glacial lake was broader than the present man-made lake.
When the white man began settling in Ohio, only
a few of the ancient lakes remained. They were shallow and swampy, and more
correctly classified as bogs or marshes. Explorer Christopher Gist, while
traveling the Scioto-Beaver Trail just south of Buckeye Lake, camped by the
watery bog's edge. In 1751, he named the area Buffalo Lick or Great Swamp in
his journal. The Great Swamp included two long narrow ponds that were joined
during high water.
A considerable part of the wetland was a
cranberry-sphagnum bog. Cranberry Bog, a state nature preserve and a National
Natural Landmark, is situated in Buckeye Lake. When the lake was impounded in
1826, Cranberry Bog broke loose from the bottom and became a floating island
which may conceivably be the only one of its kind in the world. Most of the
island is an open sphagnum moss meadow with an abundance of cranberries and
pitcher plants making the area a naturalist's delight. Access to the island is
by permit only from the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
Buckeye Lake's shoreline offers excellent
habitat for waterfowl. Good bird-watching opportunities exist especially
during the spring and fall migrations. One of the state's largest great blue
heron rookeries is situated on adjacent private land, but the birds can often
be seen in the park.
History of the Area
In order to provide interconnecting waterways
for a growing state, a canal system was developed in the early 1800's. The
system required feeder lakes to supply the water necessary to maintain the
four-foot canal water level. Because of their location, areas such as St.
Marys, Indian Lake, Lake Loramie, Guilford and Buckeye lakes were to be
developed as part of the project.
The canal project was formally started by
Governor Jeremiah Morrow on July 4, 1825 in a special ceremony near Newark. In
attendance was New York's DeWitt Clinton, the father of the Erie Canal. Ohio's
canal system was becoming a reality.
Construction of the dike blocking drainage into
the South Fork of the Licking River began in 1826 and was completed in 1830,
forming the Licking Summit Reservoir which would eventually become Buckeye
Lake. Before impoundment, the forests were not cleared leaving large tracts of
timber and brush emergent in the newly formed lake.
As the water level rose, several large mats of
sphagnum moss broke loose from the bottom and became "floating
islands". Other islands were created because the land was above the water
level.
During the canal era, canal boats traveled
along the original western end of the lake. This lake however, was not large
enough to supply the necessary water for the canal so it was enlarged. Later,
in order to provide an even larger amount of water, another lake was developed
north and west of the original one. A dike, known as "Middle Wall",
separated the Old Reservoir and New Reservoir. This dike was used as a towpath
for the canal.
With the advent of railroads, the canal system
became outdated. Many miles of canal fell into disuse and were abandoned or
sold. In 1894, the General Assembly of Ohio set a policy whereby the feeder
reservoirs were established as public parks. At that time, the name of Licking
Summit Reservoir was changed to Buckeye Lake.
By 1900, there were numerous cottages and
several amusement parks around Buckeye Lake. In the early 1900's, as
recreational use increased and power boats became popular, the "North
Bank" was reinforced and the "Middle Wall" removed. Development
continued around the lake. During the 1940's and 50's, many folks traveled to
the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park to see big-band stars, dance and picnic.
In 1949, when the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources was created, the area officially became Buckeye Lake State Park.
Camping
Buckeye Lake KOA Campground is 40 acres of fun
and relaxation in the heart of central Ohio. Go here
for more information.
Fishing
Anglers enjoy fine catches of perch, bluegill,
crappie, muskellunge, largemouth bass, channel catfish and bullhead catfish.
As early as 1891, the "Buckeye Fish Car", a state operated railroad
car, transported crappie and bass from Lake Erie to stock Buckeye Lake. In the
1930's, as many as 1,000 boats a day were crappie fishing on the lake.
Swimming
Public swimming areas with parking facilities,
change booths and latrines are located at Fairfield Beach and at Brooks Park
on the south side of the lake. Beaches are open from Memorial Day to Labor
Day. Two boat/swim areas are offered as well.
Picnicking
Several picnic areas with tables and grills are
situated in quiet spots overlooking the lake. Shelters are available on a
first come, first served basis.
Boating
The 3,300-acre Buckeye Lake is designated as an
unlimited horsepower lake, but pontoons, sailboats, canoes and rowboats are
also common. Access to the lake is available at several public launch ramps.
