LaDue Reservoir
Encyclopedia
LaDue Reservoir is a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 located near Ohio State Route 44 and U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...

 in Auburn
Auburn Township, Geauga County, Ohio
Auburn Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 5,158 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships and city:...

 and Troy Townships
Troy Township, Geauga County, Ohio
Troy Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,567 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Burton Township - north...

  in Geauga County, Ohio
Geauga County, Ohio
Geauga County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 93,389. It is named for a Native American word meaning "raccoon". The county seat is Chardon...

. The reservoir was originally called the “Akron City Reservoir” before it was renamed for Wendell R. LaDue. The Geographic Names Information System recognized four variants names, including Akron City Reservoir, Bridge Creek Reservoir, Ladue Reservoir, and Wendell R. Ladue Reservoir.

The lake is formed by the Bridge Creek Dam 41°24′16"N 81°11′2"W across Bridge Creek and the Black Brook Dike 41°21′4"N 81°12′36"W across Black Brook, both tributaries of the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...

.

The reservoir was created in an area that was covered with ice during the Wisconsinan glaciation
Wisconsinan glaciation
The Wisconsin Glacial Episode was the most recent major advance of the North American Laurentide ice sheet. Globally, this advance is known as the last glacial period. The Wisconsin glaciation extended from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago, between the Eemian interglacial and the current...

 and contains numerous glacial sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...

 and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...

 deposits (kames
Kame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...

) and glacial ponds (kettles). The lake bottom retains the same irregularities found before it was dammed.

Purpose

The reservoir and surrounding land is owned by the City of Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

 and is operated by the Public Utilities Bureau Watershed Management.

The reservoir is one of three reservoirs that make up the City of Akron water supply, including LaDue Reservoir, East Branch Reservoir in Claridon Township, Geauga County, Ohio
Claridon Township, Geauga County, Ohio
Claridon Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,173 people in the township, 2,801 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-History:...

, and Lake Rockwell in Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio
Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio
Franklin Township is a civil township located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The 2000 census found 5,276 people in the township...

. The main purposes of these reservoirs are to provide flood control to downstream areas, replenish the river’s flow during dry periods, and maintain an ample supply of available drinking water for Akron.

Because Lake Rockwell is the main drinking water supply for the City of Akron, it is highly protected with no trespassing, fishing, or recreation permitted. However, both East Branch Reservoir and LaDue Reservoir are open to fishing, boating, and hunting. However, Ohio Revised Code has special fishing regulations for LaDue Reservoir that do not allow gasoline motors on any watercraft, limit the size of electric motors, and restrict shorelines fishing to the right-of-ways along Ohio State Route 44, U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...

, and Auburn Roads.

Wendell R. LaDue

According to City of Akron historians, Wendell Richard LaDue was born in Mount Pleasant, Ohio
Mount Pleasant, Ohio
Mount Pleasant is a village in Jefferson County, Ohio, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 535. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 in 1894. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, LaDue served with the U.S. Navy Bureau of Construction and Repair
Bureau of Construction and Repair
The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...

, which prompted him to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

. LaDue was hired as a draftsman
Engineering drawing
An engineering drawing, a type of technical drawing, is used to fully and clearly define requirements for engineered items.Engineering drawing produces engineering drawings . More than just the drawing of pictures, it is also a language—a graphical language that communicates ideas and information...

 for the Akron Water Department in 1925, became a professional engineer
Professional Engineer
Regulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...

, registered surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...

, and was promoted to the department manager in 1933.

While serving as its manager, LaDue developed a watershed plan
Watershed management
Watershed management is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal, and human...

 to insure adequate clean water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

 supply. The plan included purchasing property along the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...

 and building a series of reservoirs. In 1932, the City of Akron began purchasing property along the Cuyahoga River in Geauga County and removing homes and farms to protect the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

. LaDue oversaw the construction of the 695 acre (2.8 km²) Rockwell Lake, the 395 acre (1.6 km²) East Branch in 1938, and the 1477 acre (6 km²) Akron City Reservoir, now called LaDue Reservoir, in 1961. The capacity of the three reservoirs is 10500000000 gallon.

In 1939, LaDue oversaw the construction of the 24 ft (7.3 m) deep, 1104 acre (4.5 km²) Magadore Reservoir, in Portage County, Ohio
Portage County, Ohio
Portage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 152,061 at the 2000 Census and 161,419 at the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Ravenna. Portage County is named for the portage between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers...

 to protect the Little Cuyahoga River Valley. While the reservoir is owned by the City of Akron, it is not part of the Akron City Water supply. The reservoir is used for recreational purposes.

In 1947, LaDue founded the Akron-Canton Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...

. In honor of his contributions, the Wendell R. LaDue Civil Engineer Award is awarded each year by the ASCE to a member who has promoted professionalism and the advancement of the civil engineering profession. In 1946 and 1947, LaDue was the president of the American Water Works Association
American Water Works Association
American Water Works Association was established as an international non-profit professional organization dedicated to the improvement of water quality and supply. Founded in 1881, it claims a membership of around 56,000 members worldwide as of 2010.AWWA has become the largest organization of...

, non-profit professional organization dedicated to the improvement of water quality and supply. Since 2003, several Wendell R. LaDue Utility Safety Awards are presented by the AWWA to recognize distinguished water utility safety programs.

LaDue retired from the City of Akron in 1963, and began teaching at the University of Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...

 where he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Engineering Degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...

. LaDue passed away in 1985. LaDue’s archive of his papers and work are housed at the University of Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...

 library's Regional History Collections.

Bridge Creek Dam

The Bridge Creek Dam 41°24′16"N 81°11′2"W, also known as the LaDue Dam, is a rolled earth fill with impervious core, maximum height 35 ft, top length 3200 ft, top width 40 ft, base width about 120 ft and length 4500 ft. Spillway: Uncontrolled concrete lined saddle spillway that is 200 ft at the top and 250 ft near at the base. The drop is about 30 ft. The Bridge Creek Dam is a restricted zone with “No Trespassing Zone” signs on land and has marker buoys in the water.

Black Brook Dike and Dam

The Black Brook Dike is 100 ft wide and nearly 1 mi (1.6 km) long. It is located at the southern tip of the reservoir near the intersection of Bartholomew Road and Ohio State Route 44.

The Black Brook Dam 41°21′4"N 81°12′36"W is a rolled earth fill with impervious core, maximum height 20 ft, top length 325 ft, top width 30 ft, base width about 100 ft and length 1100 ft. It is located near the intersection of Crackel Road and Ohio State Route 44, about 1500 ft (457.2 m) feet north of the Geauga-Portage County border. It uses a 6 ft concrete drainage ditch to evacuate water. The Black Brook Dike and Dam are restricted zones with “No Trespassing Zone” signs posted on land and marker buoys in the water.

Recreation

The LaDue Reservoir wildlife area includes 8791 acres (3,557.6 ha) that protects the watershed of the east branch of the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...

 from the East Branch Reservoir at Headwaters Park in East Claridon, Ohio
East Claridon, Ohio
East Claridon is an unincorporated community in eastern Claridon Township, Geauga County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44033. It lies at the intersection of 322 with State Route 608....

 to Ohio State Route 82 in Mantua Township, Portage County, Ohio
Mantua Township, Portage County, Ohio
The village of Mantua, which became independent of the township in 1993, is located in southern Mantua Township.Formed from the Connecticut Western Reserve, Mantua Township covers an area of .-Notable people:...

.

For many years, the City of Akron managed recreation activities at its reservoirs. Since 2002, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 by the Ohio Legislature. It is a government agency in the U.S. state of Ohio charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, and recreation areas.Divisions of ODNR...

 Division of Wildlife has managed the LaDue Public Hunting Area for the City of Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

, which includes hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

, trapping
Trapping
Trapping may refer to:* Animal trapping, the remote capture of animals* Trapping , a fighting technique and range* Trap , a color management technique* Mantrap, a security device...

, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

. The wildlife area includes diverse wildlife, including white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...

, wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...

, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...

, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

, and woodchuck. Waterfowl include migrating mallards, wood duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...

, and Canada geese. LaDue Reservoir contains sport fish including walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...

, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

, yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...

, white and black crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...

, and channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...

.

Boating and Fishing

Ohio Revised Code
Ohio Revised Code
The Ohio Revised Code contains all acts passed by the Ohio General Assembly and signed by the governor. The Ohio Revised Code replaced the Ohio General Code in 1953. However the current organization and form of the Ohio Revised Code Title 29 was completely re-written and issued into law by the...

 Chapter 1501:31-13 designates special fishing regulations for LaDue Reservoir that restrict watercraft to electric motors only and restrict shorelines fishing to the right-of-ways along Ohio State Route 44, U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...

, and Auburn Roads. Fishing in Ohio requires a valid Ohio Fishing License and is subject to Ohio fishing regulations. No gasoline engines can be used on LaDue Reservoir.

ODNR Division of Wildlife maintains a gravel boat ramp with portable toilet
Portable toilet
Portable toilet are simple portable enclosures containing a chemical toilet which are typically used as a temporary toilet for construction sites and large gatherings and events. Most of the portable toilets have black open-front-U-shaped toilet seat with cover...

s near the intersection of East Washington Street and Valley Road. There is also an unimproved boat ramp at the south end of the reservoir where Ohio State Route 44 crosses the reservoir. Boats are limited to electric motors only.

Hunting and Trapping

Waterfowl hunting on LaDue Reservoir is limited to designated areas only and limited to hunters selected in an annual drawing held by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Hunting in Ohio is subject to hunting regulations.

Furbearer trapping is permitted throughout the area, however, it too requires a permit to trap beaver or river otter and is limited to trappers selected in an annual drawing by the Division of Wildlife. Trapping in Ohio is subject to trapping regulations.

Environmental Conditions

In 2010, excessive heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...

 contributed to concerns for harmful algal blooms in many inland lakes in NE Ohio, including LaDue Reservoir. A harmful algal bloom occurs when naturally-occurring blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, produce neurotoxins, which affect the nervous system, and hepatotoxins, which affect the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

. It is now monitored by the Ohio Department of Health.

See Also

  • Geauga Park District
    Geauga County Park District
    The Geauga Park District, among the Ohio Metroparks, manages a system of nature preserves scattered throughout Geauga County, Ohio. The network of 18 open parks, other preserves and future parks encompass nearly and includes hundreds of miles of walking, bicycle and horse trails, picnic areas, two...

  • Ohio Department of Natural Resources
    Ohio Department of Natural Resources
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 by the Ohio Legislature. It is a government agency in the U.S. state of Ohio charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, and recreation areas.Divisions of ODNR...


External links


Geauga County
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