Huntington District, West Virginia -- Delaware Lake is part of a system of dams that reduce flood stages in the Olentangy, Scioto, and Ohio River Basins; benefiting communities and agricultural lands between Delaware and the Gulf of Mexico. Delaware Dam and Reservoir is located 32 miles above the mouth of the scenic Olentangy River, a tributary of the Scioto River, near Delaware Ohio. Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 for the purposes of flood reduction, low-flow control for pollution reduction and water supply, recreation and fish and wildlife management, the project was constructed between 1947 and 1951 at a cost of $ 4,307,000. The project was constructed and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District. The Dam is a rolled earth fill type with a concrete gated spillway section. At a length of 3 ½ miles and a height of 92 feet, Delaware Dam controls a drainage area of 386 square miles through the use of five gated sluices and six 25 foot by 32 foot tainter/radial gates.
Historical Info
Delaware Lake was designed and built by the Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project was first authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 as a unit in the larger comprehensive flood control plan for the Ohio River Basin. Dam construction was completed in July, 1948.