Grand Lake St. Marys State Park
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park | |
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Grand Lake and St. Marys | |
Website | Grand Lake St. Marys State Park |
Grand Lake | ||
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Primary inflows Coldwater Creek | | |
Primary outflows | Beaver Creek | |
Basin countries | United States | |
Max. length | 8.2 mi (13.2 km) | |
Max. width | 2.8 mi (4.5 km) | |
Surface area | 12,896 acres (5,219 ha)[3] | |
Average depth | 5–7 ft (1.5–2.1 m)[3] | |
Shore length1 | 74 mi (119 km)[3] | |
Surface elevation | 871 ft (265 m)[3] | |
Islands | Safety Island | |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park is a public recreation area located on 13,500-acre (5,500 ha) Grand Lake in Mercer and Auglaize counties, Ohio.[4] Grand Lake is the largest inland lake in Ohio in terms of area, but is shallow, with an average depth of only 5–7 feet (1.5–2.1 m). The state park is open for year-round recreation, including boating, fishing, swimming and hunting. The park consists of the lake and park facilities scattered all around the shore intermingled with private property and a facility operated by Wright State University.[3] It is west of St. Marys, and southeast of Celina, 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Lima in the northwestern part of the state.[1]
History
Grand Lake St. Marys was constructed in the early 19th century as a reservoir for the
Names
The official geographic name of the lake is Grand Lake. The United States Geological Survey Board of Geographic Names disapproved a proposal to change the name Grand Lake to Grand Lake-Saint Marys, which is the name given on state maps and documents.[1][3] The 1920 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica shows the name as Lake Mercer on the map of Ohio in the article on Ohio. "Lake St. Marys" was a name introduced in the early 1900s and wasn't popular with Celina residents.[citation needed] The body of water has also been referred to as "Grand Reservoir" and "Lake Celina" among other names.[1]
Ecology
The land on which Grand Lake St. Marys is located was once part of a forest that stretched from the
Grand Lake St. Marys was once a swampy prairie. When the lake was constructed in the early 19th century, the prairie was flooded. Now the shore of the lake includes woodlands, wetlands and prairie ecosystems that are surrounded by residential development and farms.[4]
Several outlier stands of eastern hemlock are present around the lake, and these are the westernmost natural stands in Ohio.[6]
The park is located along a major migration route for migratory birds. Commonly seen
Environmental concerns and restoration efforts
Due to the increasingly high levels of lake pollution, E. coli bacteria,[9] and related algae levels, Grand Lake could be dying off as a destination lake and is considered by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to be "impaired" due to "stream channelization, drainage tiles, loss of floodplains and streamside vegetation, manure runoff and untreated sewage flowing from failing home septic systems and small communities without any wastewater collection or treatment."[10][11]
Runoff from farmland is one of the greatest problems. Nutrients of
Heavy deposits of silt into the lake also contribute to the degradation of the lake.[13] Development of homes along the shore has reduced the number of native plants that helped to strengthen the shore and reduce erosion. Development has also increased the level of phosphates entering the lake by over fertilization of lawns. These excess phosphates directly contribute to plant growth, including the algae in the lake.[14] The native flora that has been reduced served as a filter to keep the excess nutrients out of the water.[14]
Recreation
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park is open for year-round recreation, including boating, hunting, fishing, swimming and picnicking. The
Grand Lake St. Marys is open to boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing. Boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted on the lake. The state maintains nine launch ramps providing access to the lake. A 300-foot (91 m) no-wake zone has been established around the lake's 52 miles (84 km) of shore. Boats are prohibited from entering a wildlife refuge on the southwest corner of the lake.[4]
The lake is open to fishing year-round. Common game fish include warm water fish such as
There are four public
The camp store loans games, fishing and sporting equipment to registered campers. Bike rentals are available at the campground. The park also has a miniature golf course, along with basketball and volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, playground equipment, and a recently added swimming pool.[4] St. Marys Fish Hatchery, located on the lake's eastern shore is operated by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. The hatchery raises saugeye, walleye, channel catfish and bass for stocking in the public fishing waters of the state.[19]
The Grand Lake St. Marys Seaplane Base also operates on the lake and serves as Ohio's only airport for seaplanes.[20]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Grand Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Grand Lake St. Marys State Park". Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "Grand Lake St. Marys Fishing Map" (PDF). Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Grand Lake St. Marys State Park". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ISBN 9780738551715.
- ^ "Tsuga canadensis (L". www.srs.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ Freedman, Eric (July 1, 2019). "White pelicans extend their Great Lakes range, study finds". Great Lakes Echo. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ "Coming home". The Daily Standard. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ Grieshop, Shelley (September 7, 2007). "Beach water samples test high for E. coli". The Daily Standard. Celina, Ohio. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.
- ^ "The Beaver Creek and Grand Lake St. Marys (Wabash) Watershed TMDL". Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Surface Water, Total Maximum Daily Load Program. Retrieved on 2009-06-08.
- ^ Hunt, Spencer; Doug Caruso (May 23, 2009). "Troubled water". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Pollution Issues and Solutions for Grand Lake St. Marys". Lake Improvement Association. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ "Erosion Issues and Solutions for Grand Lake St. Marys". Lake Improvement Association. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ a b "Issues". Lake Improvement Association. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ Bennish, Steve (July 29, 2010). "No swimming, fishing advisory for Grand Lake St. Marys continues". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ "Contamination advisory". Ohio Department of Health. May 19, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ Burkholder, Mike. "No swimming: Officials find algae bloom in lake". Wapakoneta Daily News. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ "Ohio's largest inland lake, Grand Lake St. Marys, not safe for swimming". Associated Press. June 28, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ "St Mary's Fish Hatchery". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- PDF, effective 2010-06-12
External links
which includes Grand Lake St. Marys State Park.
- Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Grand Lake St. Marys Fishing Map Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- The Lake Improvement Association
- Ohio EPA's Assessment of Grand Lake St. Marys
- Ohio EPA's Grand Lake St. Marys Toxic Algae page