Ohio DNR assessing tornado damage to state parks, heavy damage suspected at Indian Lake State Park

Russells Point, Ohio – As of the morning of March 15, the Ohio DNR had crews out assessing storm damage in state parks and other facilities across north-central Ohio.

During the evening of March 14 and early morning of March 15 tornados cut a swath of destruction across Ohio from Grand Lake St. Marys to Alum Creek State Park.

ODNR Spokesman Andy Chow said officials knew Indian Lake State Park in Logan County sustained heavy damage. Others were yet to be determined.

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Parks in the path of the storm included Grand Lake St. Marys, Dillon, Indian Lake, and Alum Creek.

Both Indian Lake and Grand Lake have been plagued with problems over the years. Their shallow nature makes them natural breeding grounds for algae and other blooming plagues.

Both were hand-dug in the early 1800s to feed Ohio’s burgeoning canal system. In modern times, they became popular spots for getaway vacation homes.

Indian Lake with more than 5,000 acres is the headwater of the Great Miami River. Grand Lake is about 12,000 acres and was once the home of an Ohio oil boom.