Big Darby Creek is a scenic river located in northwestern central Ohio, and an important

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

to the Lower Scioto River. The river's major tributary is the Little Darby Creek. The river runs from its source near the Champaign-

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

county line, south-east through Union and

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

Counties. In Franklin County, the river runs through the

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park is a metropolitan park in Central Ohio, owned and operated by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. The park is within the Pleasant and Prairie townships, southwest of Columbus. It is the largest park in the Me ...

, where it meets with the Little Darby Creek.Franklin County Metro Parks
Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
/ref> Directly downstream from the park, the river empties into the Scioto River in

Pickaway County Pickaway County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,539. Its county seat is Circleville. Its name derives from the Pekowi band of Shawnee Indians, who inhabited the area. (See List of Ohio count ...

at . Big Darby Creek is one of the most biologically diverse aquatic systems in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

.The Nature Conservancy
Darby Creek Watershed
It is the site of the only known population of the

Scioto madtom The Scioto madtom (''Noturus trautmani'') was a species of fish in the family Ictaluridae. It is listed as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which notes that it has likely been entirely or functionally extinct since 1 ...

, a fish which is now thought to be extinct.USFWS
''Noturus trautmani'' Five-year Review.
December 2009. In addition, for its size the creek "has the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in North America. Forty species have been reported from the system." During creek bird surveys from 1989-1991, Zoologist Dan Rice identified 86 species of riparian corridor bird species adjacent to Big Darby Creek Scenic River. Between 1984 and 1992 Rice conducted fish surveys and found 72 species of fish in Big Darby Creek.

History

When ''

The Columbus Dispatch ''The Columbus Dispatch'' is a daily newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871, and it has been the only mainstream daily newspaper in the city since ''The Columbus Citizen-Journal'' ceased publication in 19 ...

'' published an article in 1967 revealing the City of Columbus' plans to purchase over along the river to build a reservoir, a political and legal battle ensued between the municipality and several environmental groups working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. From 1974 to 1984, both sides exchanged victories and the legal battle continued into the Ohio Supreme Court, who ended the battle by ruling that the 'scenic river' designation was constitutional. On June 22, 1984, the Upper and Lower Darby Creeks were designated a state scenic river, and then added to the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

on March 10, 1994.Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Big Darby Creek State and National Scenic River
. In 2003, Big Darby and Little Darby Creeks were also given their own Historical Markers. In 2008, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium built a new exhibit focusing on the Big Darby Creek and its more than 38 rare species of fish and mussels,Narciso, D
Zoo exhibit to spotlight Big Darby Creek.
''

'' January 13, 2008. and in 2009, the City of Columbus, Franklin County Metro Parks, the Ohio Nature Conservancy and other companies spent more than $6 million on seven projects designed to restore sections of the river and its tributaries.Hunt, S. and T. Baker
Crooked creeks.
''The Columbus Dispatch'' December 13, 2009. The highest recorded flood crest was on January 22, 1959.National Weather Service
Big Darby Creek at Darbyville.
/ref>

Gallery

File:Big Darby and Little Darby Creek Sign.jpg, Historical Marker in

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or i ...

File:Darby Creek Flood Gauge 1.jpg, Flood Gauge in Pickaway County File:Big Darby Creek downstream from Little Darby 1.jpg, Big Darby Creek downstream from meeting Little Darby creek File:Big Darby Creek Bridge.JPG, Bridge crossing Big Darby Creek located on Scioto-Darby Road in Pickaway County File:Meeting Point of Big and Little Darby Creeks.jpg, Confluence of the Big (front) and Little (rear) Darby creeks

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Union County, Ohio Rivers of Madison County, Ohio Rivers of Franklin County, Ohio Rivers of Pickaway County, Ohio Rivers of Ohio Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States

History

Gallery

See also

References