522 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XII, No. 7, 



center of the swamp was, according to the surveys of 1799 and 

 ISOl, a long narrow lake fed by several small streams. This lake 

 drained into the South Fork of the Licking River near the "Black 

 Diamond, " 3^ mile southwest of the present Waste Weir. 



The location seemed well suited for a reservoir. It was a 

 quite extensive natural basin, lying on a plain, with a rim of hills to 

 the south, east and northeast immediately bordering the swamp; 

 so that no levee would be necessary along these margins. To the 

 north and west of the present lake are low fields which very likely 

 were wholly or at least in part included in the original swamp. 

 The swamp drained towards the north, the lowest place in the 

 rim is indicated on the topographic map of the U. S. G. S. by a 

 small stream, which apparently unites Buckeye Lake with the 

 South Fork of the Licking River. This outlet, however, no 

 longer exists. 



The so-called "Old Reservoir" was begun on the morning of 

 Jiily 4, LS25, and was finished in 1S2S. The swamp was not 

 deepened nor even cleared of trees. A levee, with a maximum 

 height of 18 feet at the "Black Diamond" and decreasing some- 

 what to the east and west, was built along the north side from the 

 present "Park" to the western extremity and was continued 

 around the west end. This latter served as the tow-path of 

 the canal. 



The "old reservoir" did not furnish the canal with sufficient 

 water to permit the carrying of even half a load during the drier 

 summer months, therefore an additional 500 acres on the west were 

 added in 1S32. This addition was called the "new reservoir." 

 An additional supply of water was also provided by a distributary 

 from the Licking River, which taps the river just north of 

 Kirkersville and enters the reservoir | of a mile north of the 

 western exit of the canal. 



The old swamp lay in the preglacial valley of a tributary of the 

 Newark valley, a valley now occupied in part by the west fork of 

 Jonathan creek. Just east of Thorn ville station the tracks of 

 the Newark and Shawnee Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio 

 railroad, which parallel the east shore of the lake, and the Zanes- 

 ville and Western railroad from the south meet in a cut or gap and 

 continue eastward as parallel tracks. The floor of this gap is but 

 little broader than the width of the two tracks. 



A loop moraine was formed in Late Wisconsin time across the 

 valley at this point and completely blocked the then westward 

 flowing stream. The lower or westward portion of the valley was 

 still filled with ice. As the ice receded, the water ponded behind 

 the moraine broke through forming the gap now occupied by the 

 railroad tracks, and flowed eastward down the valley. This over- 

 flow gap is very distinct and was first referred to by G. F. Wright,* 



8. Wright. G. F. The glacial boundary in Ohio, Incl., and Ky. 1884. 



