| Olentangy River | |
|---|---|
 State Route 315 passing over the Olentangy inColumbus in 2018 | |
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Approximately 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast ofGalion, Ohio |
| • elevation | 1,190 ft (360 m)[1] |
| Mouth | |
• location | Scioto River atColumbus |
• elevation | 710 ft (220 m)[2] |
| Basin size | 543 sq mi (1,410 km2)[4] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | J. H. Herrick Drive, Columbus |
| • average | 789.1 cu ft/s (22.34 m3/s),USGSwater years 2015-2019[3] |
TheOlentangy River/oʊlənˈtændʒi/ is a 97-mile-long (156 km)[5]tributary of theScioto River inOhio, United States.
It was originally calledkeenhongsheconsepung, aDelaware word literally translated as "sharp tool river", based on theshale found along its shores. Early settlers to the region translated this into "Whetstone River". In 1833, theOhio General Assembly passed legislation intending to restore the originalNative American names to some Ohio waterways, but mistakenly gave Whetstone River the name "Olentangy"—Delaware for "river of the red face paint"—which had actually belonged to what is now known asBig Darby Creek.[6]
The Olentangy River rises inMorrow County approximately 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast ofGalion, nearBlooming Grove, flowing through Galion and northwest towardsBucyrus, where it then turns south and flows through EasternMarion County, Ohio (where it is still locally known as the Whetstone River) before flowing south into Delaware County. The Delaware Dam creates theDelaware Lake there. TheOhio Department of Natural Resources maintains a wildlife area and theDelaware State Park on the shores of the lake.
The river continues southward towards the communities ofDelaware,Powell,Worthington, and the village ofRiverlea, before reaching Columbus, beginning withClintonville and flowing throughOld North Columbus, the campus of TheOhio State University, and the historic complex of neighborhoods to the south before merging with the Scioto River in theArena District at location known as Confluence Park. The River’s western waterfront forms the right-of-way for the majority ofSR 315. The original alignment of that route is known as Olentangy River Road, and some points north of theColumbus Outerbelt, where a freeway alignment was never built, still go by that name.
The Delaware State Park Reservoir, also known as Delaware Lake, was constructed along the Olentangy River in 1951. The reservoir is located 5 miles north of the city of Delaware, and was built by theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control purposes. On 13 January 2005, Delaware Dam was nearly overtopped. The water level came within less than 1 foot of the top of the dam, requiring the main spill gates to be opened before it began dropping.[7]
The Olentangy River is the primary source of drinking water for much of Delaware County. Both the City of Delaware and Del-Co Water Company, the supplier of drinking water to most of rural Delaware County (and other communities beyond), draw the majority of their water supplies from the Olentangy system.
Twenty-two miles of the Olentangy have been designated a State Scenic River by theOhio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas & Preserves.[8]
The Olentangy River has also been known as Keenhongsheconsepung, Oleutangy, Whetstone Creek, Whetstone River, and Whitestone Creek.[9]
A tributary is calledWhetstone Creek.
In 2012 the Ohio EPA and the City of Columbus began to remove some of the lowhead dams that cross the river. Work started with removing the 5th Avenue Dam. The river is now about half of its former width. Work continues to restore the banks and clean the area.[10][11][12][13]
BroadcasterKeith Jackson would introduceOhio State football games "from the banks of the mighty Olentangy."[14]
39°57′57″N83°01′00″W / 39.9659°N 83.0166°W /39.9659; -83.0166
