Celebrations set for Mosquito Creek Lake's 75th year

By ED RUNYAN

runyan@vindy.com

BAZETTA

One of the most significant geographic

landmarks in the Mahoning Valley came into being 75 years ago when the Army Corps of Engineers built a dam in 90 days that turned Mosquito Creek into Mosquito Creek Lake.

That “engineering marvel,” which created a great recreational, health and safety asset, will be celebrated with tours, tree-planting and a time-capsule dedication June 15, said Bill Spring, Mosquito Lake resource manager with the Army Corps, which owns the lake and adjacent lands.

The dam’s construction took place in late 1943 and early 1944. It began to hold back the creek’s waters until it reached normal summer height of 900.73 feet above mean sea level sometime in April 1944.

It is Ohio’s second-largest inland lake.

April is actually the 75th anniversary of when Mosquito Creek became a lake, but the Army Corps decided to celebrate the anniversary in June to improve the odds of having good weather for the celebration, Spring said.

Events begin from 9 to 10 a.m. with free, guided tours through and around the dam’s control tower, a landmark in its own right, just off shore from the dam. The concrete structure controls how much water passes through the dam and continues downstream. Parking is in a public lot just south of the dam. A shuttle bus will help move people around.

The anniversary ceremony will take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Army Corps office just down the street from the dam, 2961 Warren Meadville Road, across from the new Bazetta Fire Station. Parking will be at the fire station and nearby Lakeview Recreation.

The Army Corps and affiliated organizations will also staff informational booths in the state park starting at noon as part of Bazetta Township’s annual safety day.

“To have it still operational 75 years later after building it in only 90 days is very impressive. Other dams take years to construct,” Spring said.

It’s not one of the taller dams, only 47 feet high at the river bed, Spring noted.

Anyone who spends time at the lake knows it has two names. The Army Corps calls it Mosquito Creek Lake, but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which leases and operates most of the lake and adjacent property from the corps, calls it Mosquito Lake.

“They have branded their state park as Mosquito Lake State Park, so therefore everyone thinks it’s owned by ODNR and therefore it’s Mosquito Lake. Officially, as it is in historical records, it is called Mosquito Creek Lake,” Spring said.

The Army Corps manages the dam and areas around the dam, plus a boat launch on state Route 305.

“We’re trying to show the value of taxpayers’ dollars and the value we provide to the local community,” he said of the event.

The lake was built for flood control, drinking water and recreation.

“The dam cost a little over $4 million to build. To date, the dam has saved over $500 million worth of potential flood damage,” Spring said. ”Without the dam, there could have been up to $500 million worth of flood damage.

“It’s like a bathtub. We allow that water to build up, and once it’s clear down stream, we will begin releasing it over time so there’s no flood damage, and the banks and rivers can handle the capacity.”