Leesville Lake (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Leesville Lake is a reservoir
located near Ohio State Route 212
and Leesville, Ohio
. The lake is formed by Leesville Dam 40°28′6"N 81°11′41"W across McGuire Creek, a tributary of Conotton Creek
. The lake is named for the village of Leesville.
The McGuire Creek forms the south branch of the C shaped lake, while the north branch is formed by the North Fork McGuire Creek and Bear Hole Run. The Dam was completed in October, 1936 at a cost of $941,000 by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
. The operation of the lake and dam, along with the property immediately surrounding the dam site, was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington
District, after the approval of the Flood Control Act of 1939
by Congress. The MWCD continues to be responsible for the management of much of the reservoir areas behind the dam, serving as a partner to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood reduction. In addition to operating a number of recreation facilities, the MWCD cooperates with the Ohio Division of Wildlife for fishing and hunting management.
Spillway: Uncontrolled concrete lined saddle spillway near left (south) abutment, crest elevation 977.5, length of crest 150 ft, design discharge 19700 cuft/s with surcharge of 12.6 ft and freeboard of 5 ft.
Outlet Works: Intake structure with three sluices controlled by 3.5 ft x 7 ft gates and discharges through a 7 ft diameter horseshoe tunnel through the right abutment into a stilling basin. Two 1.5 ft diameter siphons, located in front of the gates of the two outer sluices and discharging into the center sluice, are provided for maintaining the minimum pool.
Other Structures: none
Maximum flow of record at the dam site: 2300 cuft/s (04-20-1940)
Reservoir design flood peak flow: 4600 cuft/s.
The normal pool level of the lake is 963 feet (293.5 m), at which a 1000 acres (4 km²) reservoir is formed. During times of excessive rain and snow melt, the corps of engineers can impound more water, up to a maximum possible level of 977.5 feet (297.9 m) with 1470 acres (5.9 km²). The highest pool of record is 970.77 feet (295.9 m) on 03-17-2011. Levels above normal can cause road closures near the lake. In November of each year the lake is lowered to winter pool of 958 feet (292 m) to allow more flood capacity, and to freeze and kill the roots of aquatic weeds. Levels are returned to summer pool in the spring.
runs Camp Neosa at the lake.
The United Methodist Church
runs Camp Aldersgate at the lake.
The Ohio FFA
runs Camp Muskingum at the lake
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
located near Ohio State Route 212
Ohio State Route 212
State Route 212 ' is a two-lane east–west state highway that runs within Stark, Tuscarawas, Carroll, and Harrison Counties in eastern Ohio. The western terminus of State Route 212 is at U.S. Route 250 near Beach City, and its eastern terminus is at State Route 151 in Bowerston....
and Leesville, Ohio
Leesville, Ohio
Leesville is a village in Carroll County, Ohio, United States. The population was 184 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The lake is formed by Leesville Dam 40°28′6"N 81°11′41"W across McGuire Creek, a tributary of Conotton Creek
Conotton Creek
Conotton Creek is a tributary of the Tuscarawas River, 38.7 miles long, in eastern Ohio in the United States. Via the Tuscarawas, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 286 square miles in Carroll, Harrison and Tuscarawas County,...
. The lake is named for the village of Leesville.
The McGuire Creek forms the south branch of the C shaped lake, while the north branch is formed by the North Fork McGuire Creek and Bear Hole Run. The Dam was completed in October, 1936 at a cost of $941,000 by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan for flood reduction and water conservation in the Muskingum River Watershed, the state's largest wholly contained watershed, covering more than...
. The operation of the lake and dam, along with the property immediately surrounding the dam site, was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
District, after the approval of the Flood Control Act of 1939
Flood Control Act of 1939
Flood Control Act of 1939 , enacted on August 11, 1939 by the 76th Congress, is U.S. legislation that authorized construction of flood control projects across the United States...
by Congress. The MWCD continues to be responsible for the management of much of the reservoir areas behind the dam, serving as a partner to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood reduction. In addition to operating a number of recreation facilities, the MWCD cooperates with the Ohio Division of Wildlife for fishing and hunting management.
Leesville Dam
The Leesville Dam is a rolled earth fill with impervious core, maximum height 74 ft, top length 1695 ft, top width 25 ft, base width about 450 ft. With a 4.1 ft parapet wall on top of the dam with a top elevation of 995.1.Spillway: Uncontrolled concrete lined saddle spillway near left (south) abutment, crest elevation 977.5, length of crest 150 ft, design discharge 19700 cuft/s with surcharge of 12.6 ft and freeboard of 5 ft.
Outlet Works: Intake structure with three sluices controlled by 3.5 ft x 7 ft gates and discharges through a 7 ft diameter horseshoe tunnel through the right abutment into a stilling basin. Two 1.5 ft diameter siphons, located in front of the gates of the two outer sluices and discharging into the center sluice, are provided for maintaining the minimum pool.
Other Structures: none
Maximum flow of record at the dam site: 2300 cuft/s (04-20-1940)
Reservoir design flood peak flow: 4600 cuft/s.
The normal pool level of the lake is 963 feet (293.5 m), at which a 1000 acres (4 km²) reservoir is formed. During times of excessive rain and snow melt, the corps of engineers can impound more water, up to a maximum possible level of 977.5 feet (297.9 m) with 1470 acres (5.9 km²). The highest pool of record is 970.77 feet (295.9 m) on 03-17-2011. Levels above normal can cause road closures near the lake. In November of each year the lake is lowered to winter pool of 958 feet (292 m) to allow more flood capacity, and to freeze and kill the roots of aquatic weeds. Levels are returned to summer pool in the spring.
Campgrounds
The Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
runs Camp Neosa at the lake.
The United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
runs Camp Aldersgate at the lake.
The Ohio FFA
National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is an American youth organization known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education...
runs Camp Muskingum at the lake