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Buckeye Lake Basics

  • 30 miles east of Columbus, Ohio
  • 3,000-acre, shallow canal lake
  • 10,000 people live around the lake
  • 354,000 recreational users annually
  • Constructed in 1820s from a glacial relic swamp, as a water source for the Ohio and Erie Canal system
  • 1894, designated a public park
  • Home to Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve

Why Should We Care about the Water in Buckeye Lake?

Many people live around the lake and enjoy fishing, boating and swimming. Poor water quality can lead to cloudy or muddy water, fewer fish, less scenic views, and undesirable vegetation. Poor water quality may also lead to less lake use and lower property values around the lake.

How Can You Help?
  1. Learn about watersheds and water quality improvement.
  2. Learn about sustaining water resources for future generations.
  3. Volunteer to monitor water quality or serve on a committee.
  4. Make a financial or in-kind contribution to BLT.

BLT Goals

  1. Work with stakeholders who are committed to sustaining Buckeye Lake water resources for future generations to enjoy.
  2. Develop and implement a watershed action plan that results in improved water quality in the Buckeye Lake Watershed over the next ten years.
  3. Work with communities around Buckeye Lake to insure a multijurisdictional plan is created to guide development in a lake-sustaining manner (no current guidelines exist).
  4. Develop a long-term volunteer water quality monitoring program and share results with the community.
  5. Inform the public about the steps they can take to help improve the water quality of Buckeye Lake and the Buckeye Lake Watershed.

What is BLT?

Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow (BLT) Watershed Group is a partnership of individuals and organizations dedicated to improving water quality in the Buckeye Lake Watershed. Led by the Buckeye Lake Area Civic Association, technical advisors include: the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, ODNR Division of Parks and Recreation, Fairfield , Licking and Perry County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and individuals interested in sustaining Buckeye Lake water quality.

Water Quality Concerns

Water quality in Buckeye Lake has
declined over time, resulting in:

  • Summer algae blooms
  • Reduced clarity
  • Reduced aquatic vegetation/habitat
  • Low dissolved oxygen
  • Fish kills

Possible causes come from both the watershed and within the lake:

  • Urbanization
  • Historical land uses
  • Agricultural practices
  • Wind and wave action on the lake
  • Sedimentation