Senecaville Lake
Encyclopedia
Seneca Lake is a reservoir
in Guernsey
and Noble
Counties, Ohio
. It is located approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Cambridge
near the village of Senecaville, Ohio
. The lake is popular among recreation and fishing enthusiasts and was formerly referred to as Senecaville Lake.
's flood control and water conservation project. The Seneca Fork of Wills Creek
valley was dammed to create a flood control and water conservation reservoir
. The reservoir presently forms a conservation pool for flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife, and for the maintenance of normal downstream flows during dry periods.
is located and across a low dike constructed section. Maximum discharge is 11400 cubic feet per second. Its capacity is 88500 acre.ft. Normal storage is 43500 acre.ft. It drains an area of 118 square miles (305.6 km²).
A public boat launch ramp is available near the dam year round. The horsepower limit for boats on Seneca Lake is 399 hp. There is one marina located on the lake, Seneca Marina, which is operated by private enterprise. The marina is a full-service facility with boat sales and rentals, fuel, supplies and docking. There is a restaurant at the marina which is open all year.
Limited hiking is available around Senecaville Dam. A more extensive hiking trail system is available within Seneca Lake Park. Camping at Seneca Lake is available through the MWCD.
Fireworks on the Lake take place on the closest Saturday night to the Fourth of July. The Fireworks are set off from the Big Island.
fish hatchery
located below Senecaville Dam. This facility was acquired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987. The hatchery has 37 ponds containing a total of 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) of water. The facility also has two outdoor raceways and 18 indoor rearing troughs. Water is supplied by Seneca Lake, which can deliver 2000 USgal/min. This water supply allows the hatchery to raise saugeye, walleye, hybrid striped bass, and channel catfish. The hatchery is open to visitors and will accommodate tour groups with advanced reservations.
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...
in Guernsey
Guernsey County, Ohio
Guernsey County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 40,087. Its county seat is Cambridge and is named for the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel, from which many of the county's early settlers came....
and Noble
Noble County, Ohio
Noble County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,645. Its county seat is Caldwell. Noble County is named for Rep. Warren P. Noble of the Ohio House of Representatives, who was an early settler there.-History:...
Counties, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is located approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Cambridge
Cambridge, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,520 people, 4,924 households, and 2,954 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,055.1 people per square mile . There were 5,585 housing units of an average density of 996.3 per square mile...
near the village of Senecaville, Ohio
Senecaville, Ohio
Senecaville is a village in Guernsey County, Ohio, United States. The population was 453 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Senecaville is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
. The lake is popular among recreation and fishing enthusiasts and was formerly referred to as Senecaville Lake.
History
Senecaville Dam was built in 1937 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy DistrictMuskingum 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...
's flood control and water conservation project. The Seneca Fork of Wills Creek
Wills Creek (Ohio)
Wills Creek is a tributary of the Muskingum River, 92.2 mi long, in eastern Ohio in the United States. Via the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. It drains an area of 853 mi² ....
valley was dammed to create a flood control and water conservation reservoir
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...
. The reservoir presently forms a conservation pool for flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife, and for the maintenance of normal downstream flows during dry periods.
Senecaville Dam
The Senecaville Dam is located at the northwest end of the lake near the village of Senecaville. Originally completed in 1937, the structure was modified in 1982. The dam is made of earthen construction and measures 49 feet (14.9 m) high by 2350 feet (716.3 m) long. The core is homogeneous earth with a foundation of rock and soil. The Dam is separated into two embankment sections, North and South, by a rock knoll, through which the outlet worksOutlet works
A set of outlet works is a device used to release and regulate water flow from a dam. Such devices usually consist of one or more pipes or tunnels through the embankment of the dam, directing water usually under high pressure to the river downstream...
is located and across a low dike constructed section. Maximum discharge is 11400 cubic feet per second. Its capacity is 88500 acre.ft. Normal storage is 43500 acre.ft. It drains an area of 118 square miles (305.6 km²).
Recreation
The lake is in the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District's chain of lakes and all boating, swimming, camping, and picnicking is under MWCD control. The MWCD coordinates many recreation activities at the lake and operates an activity center within Seneca Lake Park. The activity center provides day to day information on campground activities and current events. The MWCD has designated two swimming areas (one is within the park & one is by boat access). Picnic sites are available at the Seneca Lake Park.A public boat launch ramp is available near the dam year round. The horsepower limit for boats on Seneca Lake is 399 hp. There is one marina located on the lake, Seneca Marina, which is operated by private enterprise. The marina is a full-service facility with boat sales and rentals, fuel, supplies and docking. There is a restaurant at the marina which is open all year.
Limited hiking is available around Senecaville Dam. A more extensive hiking trail system is available within Seneca Lake Park. Camping at Seneca Lake is available through the MWCD.
Fireworks on the Lake take place on the closest Saturday night to the Fourth of July. The Fireworks are set off from the Big Island.
Fishing
The Ohio Division of Wildlife annually leases public fishing and hunting rights on MWCD lakes and lands. Fishing is popular all around the lake where ever there is access to the water. At the dam site, fishing is available above and below the dam. Seneca Lake contains populations of largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills, bullheads, channel catfish, and walleye. The lake has also been stocked with muskellunge and white bass with moderate success. These species of fish are stocked by the Division of Wildlife.Fish hatchery
There is also a Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesOhio Department of Natural Resources
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 by the Ohio Legislature. It is a government agency in the U.S. state of Ohio charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, and recreation areas.Divisions of ODNR...
fish hatchery
Hatchery
A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish or poultry. It may be used for ex-situ conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled conditions; alternatively, it may be for economic reasons A hatchery is a...
located below Senecaville Dam. This facility was acquired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987. The hatchery has 37 ponds containing a total of 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) of water. The facility also has two outdoor raceways and 18 indoor rearing troughs. Water is supplied by Seneca Lake, which can deliver 2000 USgal/min. This water supply allows the hatchery to raise saugeye, walleye, hybrid striped bass, and channel catfish. The hatchery is open to visitors and will accommodate tour groups with advanced reservations.