Mar., 191 7J 



Columbus, Ohio, Quadrangle 



161 



selected a beautiful place at the northern limits of town, on the 

 Olentangy River and a tributary ravine, and has there built up 

 an amusement and picnic park. Much has been done to make 

 the site over the slopes attractive by buildings, walks, stairs and 

 seats. A suggestion is here given of what the city might do. 



East from this park, up the ravine about a mile, the glen, 

 here possessing a small flood plain, is now used for a park. 

 Paths and seats, with rustic bridges over the stream and a well 

 or two constitute the chief improvements but they are sufficient 

 to draw the public to the pretty site for picnics and pleasure 

 walks. No true boulevards are to be found at Columbus. 



Fig. 16. Concrete Storage Dam, which retains 1,000,000,000 gallons of water in 

 the Scioto gorge. Built where the youthful gorge narrows suitably. 



City Water Supply. — For many years the shallow well S3^stem 

 of water supply was used in Columbus as in the country districts 

 around, but finally the waters of the Scioto River were drawn 

 upon, and a city waterworks plant was put into operation thus 

 laying under control another item in the environment. This 

 was, however, surface water, hard, variable both in supply, and 

 in freedom from mud, and always open to contamination from 

 a thousand upstream sources. The Scioto valley, while essen- 

 tially a rock gorge across the entire northern half of the quad- 

 rangle, and narrow enough to be effectively obstructed by a 

 large dam, is wide enough to make a very satisfactory reservoir. 

 About twelve years ago the city council decided to take another 

 step in the adjustment to the physiographic conditions by 

 building a massive concrete dam across the river. (Fig. 16.) 



