26 BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 



Dr. W. A. Kellerman and myself have made micro- 

 scopic exatninations of muck obtained in localities 

 where it would have been most likely to occur. It 

 either existed formerly, even if no traces have been 

 found, or other forms of plant life possess the same 

 power. As before mentioned a remnant of the old 

 lake existed as late as 1850, occupying a portion of the 

 bed of the old outlet, or Blanchard's Fork. 



By an inspection of the Map, it will be seen that 

 the drainage at present is in the same three general 

 directions as mentioned under natural drainage while 

 the area was a marsh. The Divide occurs along New 

 Road No. 1. The territory to the south of this road is 

 drained into Spring Run, the water eventually finding 

 its way into Sandusky Bay by way of Tymochte Creek 

 and Sandusky River. 



The ditch, draining into Spring Run, does not 

 follow the natural drainage course to vicinity of Gault 

 House, but veers eastward just north of Carey and emp- 

 ties into the Run near the Hocking Valley Depot. The 

 territory north of the Divide is drained northward, then 

 westward and empties into the Bower Ditch just west 

 of the Seneca-Hancock County line. The waters of this 

 ditch reach Lake Erie via the Blanchard, Auglaize, and 

 Maumee Rivers. The Vanlue end of prairie is drained 

 by several ditches whose waters empty into the Blanch- 

 ard River. 



Artificial Drainage and its Effects. 



The first drainage ditch was dug about 1860. This 

 drained the old lake remnant, and led to the gradual 

 decrease in strictly hydrophytic plants. The second 

 ditch drained into the old lake bed. It extended from 

 the western edge of prairie, eastward along Seneca- 

 Wyandot County line, and then northward along the 

 eastern margin of prairie, then northwestward, empty- 



