2-05-2012-mating picnic tables

      dam tables at leesville lake , no really they are dam tables as they were close to the dam. caught in the act of mating in nov. of last year. those dam picnic tables. this and other sites can be seen in ohio, at almost anytime of the year. at this time of the year the parks are closed but would be great for visitng and hiking or just getting into car and driving around scouting places for next years outings. here are a couple i would suggest you might see as i feel there is a lot to see.glad to hear that ohio is getting up to speed about trash removal. my understanding is that if you bring trash into our park systems you take it out. new york has that policy and actually includes recycling bins on each park that you can dispose trash in if you do the recycling. 

      anyhow up first is leesville as it is a hidden gym of a park located close to the spillway and dam of leesville lakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leesville_Lake_(Ohio) - this is a link to wikipedia describing the lake . it is well known for fishing, but we were quite impressed with the picnic facilities and intend on returning there this spring for a family picnic. it has well kept picnic areas and access to the lake to allow for fishing and swimming at beach area. if you intend to bring a boat i would check the regulations as i do believe there is a size limit and restrictions on the size of fish taken. all of the places i will show you need to be evaluated for any restrictions before going. our idea is to have a family picnic at a new picnic area at a state park each month this summer. 

       next up is berlin dam at berlin reservoir, berlin ohio. a long drive back into the dam area and the park that awaits is worth seeing. i like the classic lines of this dam as i feel it has a certain look that is reminescent of the 30's depression architecture prevalent then. if one didnt know any better , this dam could easily have been misstaken for a berlin germany dam. 

      i could just imagine adolph addressing his troops from the top of this dam . there is a nice park beside the dam area. they say it is fifth largest man made lake in ohio. more info . can be obtained in their website.
Welcome to the Pittsburgh District.

       this is the stockport mill converted over to an inn and a restaurant in stockport ohio, on the stockport dam across the muskingum river.

         there is a hydroelectric generator and they provide all their own electricity at this inn and restaurant as in the old days it also provided the electricity to grind grain brought to the mill by wagon , then loaded onto boats for a trip either up the river , or down river to marietta, and other eastern markets. http://www.stockportmill.com/- this is the link to the mill. it is amazing to stand beside this dam and see the power of the water as it falls over the dam . a small park is located on the other side of the park in the canal lock area. bring your fishing pole and relax , but not to much. fish have been known to try and drag poles and people into the water.

       this is dover dam , dover ohio. presently there ongoing work to reinforce this dam and it is an interesting thing to watch them work. a viewing area is located along st. rt. 800 and  by walking along the top side of dam , you are treated to an observation tower where i took these pics and was able to watch ongoing underpinning work on the dam. 

       this is the first phase of work expected to take a couple of years and costing millions. http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/lakes/dot/  - this link will give you information about the dams history and improvements scheduled to occur. all of these lakes were picked for aesthetic reasons or because of their vast size and impact on the watershed they represent. and the amazing part is that all of thses pictures represent different days in ohio. you may not think it is unusual as i live in ohio and fairly close to all these lakes. but the sky was perfect . rarely do we have in ohio 2 or 3 days where sun is perfect , but rarely 4 on four different days in ohio. we just lucked out or this global warming thing has some validity. things are a changing. 

     the last view is the work area south of the dam looking towards dover, ohio. i have lived north of this dam and started farming the land in the flood plains above the dam. all my life this dam has been an important  factor in how we utilized our land. i have been on field trips through the center of the dam and have seen the guts of this place. i have watched the water rush under my feet as i stood on a catwalk. i have been affected by its flood waters and will share pictures of the worst flood we have ever experienced in the dams history. hopefully this will be tomorrows discussion. all of these places are a site to see for one reason or another or just a chance to get away.click to enlarge photos.