Miami Conservancy District facts for kids
The Miami Conservancy District is an agency in Southwest Ohio. Its main job is to control floods on the Great Miami River and its smaller rivers. This district was created in 1915 after a huge flood in March 1913. This flood, called the Great Dayton Flood, caused a lot of damage, especially in Dayton, Ohio.
To stop future floods, the Miami Conservancy District built levees (protective walls). They also made the river channel straighter through the Miami Valley. Plus, they built five special dry dams on different rivers. These projects were mostly paid for by local taxes. This was unusual because similar projects often get money from the U.S. federal government.
Contents
Why the District Was Formed
The terrible 1913 flood showed how much the Miami Valley needed better flood control. The success of the Miami Conservancy District later helped inspire a much bigger project. This was the Tennessee Valley Authority, built during the Great Depression. It showed that large-scale river management could work.
How Dams Protect the Area
The Miami Conservancy District manages five large dry dams. A dry dam is different from a regular dam. It only holds back water during a flood. Most of the time, water flows freely through it. These dams were built between 1919 and 1922.
Englewood Dam
Near Englewood, Ohio, the Englewood Dam is the biggest dam managed by the district. It helps control the Stillwater River before it joins the Great Miami River. This dam is 110 feet (34 m) high and 4,716 feet (1,437 m) long. It can hold 209,000 acre-feet (258,000,000 m3) of flood water. U.S. Route 40 crosses the top of this dam.
Germantown Dam
The Germantown Dam is located near Germantown, Ohio. It controls the flow of Twin Creek into the Great Miami River. This dam is 100 feet (30 m) high and 1,210 feet (370 m) wide. It can hold 73,000 acre-feet (90,000,000 m3) of flood water. It was finished in 1920.
Huffman Dam
Near Fairborn, Ohio, the Huffman Dam manages the Mad River. This river also flows into the Great Miami River. The dam is 65 feet (20 m) high and 3,340 feet (1,020 m) long. It can hold 124,000 acre-feet (153,000,000 m3) of flood water.
Lockington Dam
North of Piqua, Ohio, near Lockington, Ohio, is the Lockington Dam. It controls Loramie Creek before it reaches the Great Miami River. This dam is 69 feet (21 m) high and 6,400 feet (2,000 m) long. It can hold 63,000 acre-feet (78,000,000 m3) of flood water. It was built in 1919.
Taylorsville Dam
The Taylorsville Dam is near Vandalia, Ohio. It directly controls the Great Miami River. This dam is 67 feet (20 m) high and 2,980 feet (910 m) long. It was also built in 1919.
Fun Things to Do
The Miami Conservancy District (MCD) also helps create fun outdoor activities. They have a large system of trails for walking and biking. These trails cover almost 34 miles in Montgomery County. This trail system connects to over 340 miles of paved paths. You can ride from Dayton to places like Xenia, Franklin, and Piqua.
MCD also keeps up several boat ramps. These ramps make it easy to enjoy the Great Miami River and its branches. They offer maps for the Great Miami, Mad, and Stillwater rivers. These rivers are part of the Great Miami River Watershed Water Trail. This is the biggest water trail system in Ohio, with 291 miles for boating, fishing, and watching wildlife.
MCD also owns three smaller dams that create pools of water. These pools are great for boating and fishing. The cities of Hamilton, West Carrollton, and Moraine help pay for these recreational dams.
The Dayton RiverWalk is another cool feature. It's a lighted path along the river in Dayton. It runs on top of the flood protection walls. This path is about 1 mile long and is easy to get to from nearby bridges.
All these fun projects are paid for separately from the flood control work. Money for recreation comes from city payments, grants, and other sources.
Images for kids
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Huffman Dam
