Sandy Creek (Ohio)

Sandy Creek is a tributary of the Tuscarawas River, 41.3 miles (66.5 km) long, in northeastern Ohio. Via the Tuscarawas, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 503 square miles (1,303 km²).

Sandy Creek
Sandy Creek near its mouth, downstream of Bolivar Dam in 2006
Location of the mouth of Sandy Creek
Location
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Hanover Township, Columbiana County
• coordinates	40°46′19″N 80°54′09″W[1]
• elevation	1,299 ft (396 m)[2]
Mouth	Tuscarawas River
• location	Bethlehem Township, Stark County
• coordinates	40°39′28″N 81°26′14″W[1]
• elevation	887 ft (270 m)[2]
Length	41.3 mi (66.5 km)[2]
Basin size	504 sq mi (1,310 km2)[2]
Discharge
• location	Waynesburg[3]
• average	278 cu ft/s (7.9 m3/s)
• minimum	6.9 cu ft/s (0.20 m3/s)
• maximum	15,000 cu ft/s (420 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Still Fork
• right	Nimishillen Creek

Geography

Sandy Creek rises in Hanover Township, approximately two miles (3 km) northeast of Hanoverton in western Columbiana County and flows generally west-southwestwardly through northwestern Carroll County, southeastern Stark County and northeastern Tuscarawas County, past the communities of Kensington, Minerva, Malvern, Waynesburg and Magnolia. It joins the Tuscarawas River from the east in Bethlehem Township in Stark County, approximately one mile (2 km) northeast of Bolivar. At Minerva, it collects the Still Fork. At Waynesburg, it collects a short stream known as Little Sandy Creek.^[4] In Sandyville, Tuscarawas County it collects Nimishillen Creek, which drains the city of Canton.^[5]

A dry dam, Bolivar Dam, constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, spans the creek near its mouth.^[5][6]

Flow rate

At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge in Waynesburg,^[7] the annual mean flow of the river between 1939 and 2005 was 278 ft³/s (8 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 15,000 ft³/s (425 m³/s) on January 22, 1959. The lowest recorded flow was 6.9 ft³/s (0 m³/s) on an unspecified date.^[3]

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, Sandy Creek has also been known historically as:^[1]

• Big Sandy Creek
• Big Sandy River
• Elks Eye Creek
• Lamanshicolas Creek
• Lamenshikola Creek

See also

• List of rivers of Ohio

References

1. Geographic Names Information System. "GNIS entry for Sandy Creek (Feature ID #1066944)". Retrieved 2007-01-12.
2. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "GAZETTEER_OF_OHIO_STREAMS" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-07.
3. Mangus, J. P.; S. R. Frum. "USGS Ohio Water Resources Data, Water Year 2005". United States Geological Survey. pp. Surface-water records, Surface-water records, Beaver through Muskingum River Basins (p. 41–77). Retrieved 2007-05-21.
4. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Little Sandy Creek". Retrieved 2007-01-12.
5. Ohio Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1991. pp. 51–53. ISBN 0-89933-233-1.
6. United States Army Corps of Engineers. "Bolivar Dam". Archived from the original on 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2007-01-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
7. real time flow information