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Timeline |
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1814
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After the War of 1812, settlers came to farm the rich soils of northwestern
Ohio but were impeded by the Black Swamp. |
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1817
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Establishment of Port Lawrence, later to become Toledo, Ohio. |
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1825
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins to study Ohio harbors on Lake
Erie and to begin improvements. |
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1837
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Creation of Grand Lake St. Marys, Lake Loramie, and Indian Lake to
feed the Miami-Erie and Wabash-Erie Canals. |
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1841-1859
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First drainage laws in Ohio. |
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1843-1845
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Miami-Erie and Wabash-Erie canals established. |
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1850
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Logging and drainage begins to remove the forest of the Black Swamp
for agriculture. Toledo becomes the largest port in Ohio to accommodate
shipment of logs overseas. |
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1866
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Rivers and Harbors Act helps to fund development of the Port of
Toledo. |
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1873
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Creation of Ohio Fish Commission (later to become the Division of
Wildlife). |
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1879
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The Black Swamp is half cleared of trees. Construction of the drainage
ditch, the Jackson Cut Off. |
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1885
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The first giant oil and gas field in North America was discovered
in northwest Ohio under Grand Lake St. Marys. |
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1898
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First network of stream gauges established in Ohio by the USGS including
the Maumee River at Waterville. |
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1900
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Most of the Black Swamp is cleared and drained. |
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1941
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Creation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Ohio. |
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1949
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Creation of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. |
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1955
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Ohio passes the Port Authority Act in June. Toledo-Lucas County
Port Authority became the first in Ohio under the new law. |
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1959
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Opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. |
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1972
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Passage of the Clean Water Act and creation of Ohio EPA. |
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1970s
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Advent of modern farming with use of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides,
and large field sizes. |
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1980s-1990s
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Conservation tillage and other soil conservation programs started. |
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1993
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The Black Swamp Conservancy is established as a non-profit land
trust in Perrysburg, Ohio. |
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2000
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Passage of the Clean Ohio Fund, providing $400 million for environmental
projects. |
