Industrial History: 1974 Alum Creek Dam and Two Lost Bridges North of Columbus, OH

Saturday, October 14, 2023

1974 Alum Creek Dam and Two Lost Bridges North of Columbus, OH

MaskOfReason
"The reservoir was created between 1970 and 1974, a result of the federal Flood Control Act of 1962...Part of the construction included the demolition of the old village of Cheshire, and there was a very old cemetery located in town. Nearly 1,500 graves had to be moved a few miles away to the New Cheshire Cemetery. In a page right out of the movie Poltergeist, the engineers failed to move all of the bodies to the new cemetery. Whether this was due to negligence or as a cost saving measure is something we’ll probably never know, but every so often a coffin or remains will wash up on the beach."
In addition to drowning a cemetary, the reservoir covered seven mounds constructed by the prehistoric Adena culture. "Archeologists had already excavated six of the seven mounds, and they did not believe them to be burial mounds. However, the seventh mound was never examined, and could have been a communal burial site, submerged beneath the placid waters…for now."

USACE
"Alum Creek Lake offers 3,387 acres of water for recreation at the normal summer pool of 888’ above msl....The saw-toothed lake shoreline provides excellent fishing. Alum Creek Lake is one of the best fishing lakes in the state. A wide variety of fish include white bass, rock bass, small-mouth bass, large-mouth bass, bluegill, white crappie, black crappie, green sunfish, longeared sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, channel catfish, saugeye, walleye, and muskellunge. Numerous fishing tournaments are held at the lake each year."

This is a closeup view that shows the two-stage fall of the spillway.

0:10 video

Taking a closer look at the satellite image, we can see that apron in the spillway, a stilling bay and some tiger teeth.

Satellite

Doug Chapman posted two images with the comment:

These are 2 bridges on Lewis center road in Delaware County over Alum Creek. The first photo is a Covered Bridge.
Probably probably got washed away in the flood of 1913. The other picture is its truss bridge replacement. This area is now under water due to the formation of Alum Creek dam in 1970. Photo credit@ Delaware County, historical society.

Alexandra Chryst: Sad about the covered bridge. I’m grateful the Orange Rd bridge to 315 (Olentangy River Rd) still exists, even though the new bridge is what gets used.

[Some comments talk about "seeing" the truss bridge with fish detectors.]

Lewis Center Road used to be the only through east/west road in this area.

1955 Galena Quad @ 24,000

By 1973, the alternate route using the Big Walnut Road had been built, the creek had been diverted and the dam was being built. I-71 had also been built.