Caesar Creek State Park is a public recreation area located in southwestern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, five miles (8 km) east of Waynesville, in

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

, Clinton, and

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

counties. The park is leased by the State from the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

, who in the 1970s erected a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

on Caesar Creek to impound a lake. The total park area, including the lake, is . Fossil collection is allowed at Caesar Creek State Park with the following restrictions: No tools allowed, no fossil collecting for commercial use, all fossils kept must fit in the palm of your hand, and all fossil collection must take place in the designated fossil collection zone.

Amenities

*The park has of hiking trails and of bridle trails. *

Caesar's Creek Pioneer Village Caesar's Creek Pioneer Village is a historically recreated community in Caesar Creek State Park, located in Waynesville, Ohio, United States. The village was formed when historic buildings were moved here in 1978 in order to save them from destruct ...

- a collection of over 15 log cabins and other structures that are open during special events. The village is maintained and operated by a private non-profit organization. The buildings include a Quaker meetinghouse, a broom shed, a pioneer school house,

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

shop, carpenter shop,

toll house A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road, canal, or toll bridge. History Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th an ...

and many family houses. They do many programs throughout the year including a maple syrup making program. * Caesar Creek Nature Center - Adjacent to the Pioneer Village, the nature center features exhibits on the area's cultural and natural history. Nature education programs are offered year round, including campouts, hikes, cast iron cooking classes, and wildlife education.

Dam

The dam is an earth and rock fill dam high and long. The Army Corps site is an area of . The watershed above the dam has an area of . Construction started in 1971 and was finished in 1978. The Army Corps site states: :"Congress authorized Caesar Creek Lake under the

Flood Control Act of 1938 The Flood Control Act of 1938 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the Un ...

. The

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

District of the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

designed, built, and operates Caesar Creek Lake. :"During the fall and winter months, the lake level is lowered to prepare for the storage of heavy spring rainfall. If heavy rains occur, surface water runoff is stored in the lake until the swollen streams and rivers below the dam have receded. Once they can handle the discharge of the stored water without damage to lives or property, the extra water is released." The site is in the

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

townships of Massie and Wayne.

Flooding of New Burlington

The construction of the Caesar Creek Lake flooded the small farming village of New Burlington, Ohio in 1973. The history of the community was collected through stories, letters, and journals in the book '' New Burlington: The Life and Death of an American Village'' by

John Baskin John Baskin is an American television writer and producer known for series such as ''Three's Company'', '' Good Times'', ''The Jeffersons'', and '' Crazy Like a Fox''. He was twice nominated for the Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an aw ...

References

Sources

*John Baskin. ''New Burlington: The Life and Death of an American Village.'' New York: W. W. Norton, 1976. *Ohio. Department of Natural Resources. Division of Geological Survey. ''Excursion to Caesar Creek State Park in Warren County, Ohio.'' By Douglas L. Shrake. Geological Survey Guidebook No. 12. Columbus, Ohio: The Department, 1992 *

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

. Natural Resources Conservation Service. ''Caesar Creek Watershed, Miami Valley Resource Conservation and Development Area : Clinton, Greene, and Warren Counties, Ohio''. Fort Worth, Texas: The Service, 1995. *United States. Department of the Army. Corps of Engineers. Louisville District. ''Final Updated Environmental Impact Statement: Caesar Creek Lake Project, Ohio''. Louisville, Kentucky: The Corps, 1974. *Art Weber. ''Ohio State Parks''. Saginaw, Michigan: Glovebox Guidebooks, 1995. .

External links

Caesar Creek State Park
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Caesar Creek State Park Map
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Caesar Creek Lake Map
ODNR Division of Wildlife
Caesar Creek Wildlife Area
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve
ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Caesar Creek Lake
Louisville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Nature Center Association of Caesar Creek
{{authority control Protected areas of Warren County, Ohio Protected areas of Clinton County, Ohio Protected areas of Greene County, Ohio State parks of Ohio Reservoirs in Ohio Nature centers in Ohio Protected areas established in 1978 1978 establishments in Ohio Education in Warren County, Ohio Bodies of water of Warren County, Ohio Bodies of water of Clinton County, Ohio Bodies of water of Greene County, Ohio