A group of active citizens from throughout Clark County and the surrounding communities have formed a group to support the designation of the 22 mile segment of the Mad River that flows within the county as a Recreational River under the Ohio Scenic Rivers Program.

The work to have the State of Ohio Department of Natural Resources designation began back in 2013 when a small group of citizens began the process. The study done by Wittenberg University Professor John Ritter was vital to proving that the Mad qualifies for the Recreation River designation, according to committee member Bob Jurick, a resident of Mad River Township.

Last year the group sponsored an information table at the Clark County Fair to help increase awareness of the plan to seek the designation. Other organizations who support the designation are Trout Unlimited, Mad Men Chapter, Clark County Park District, Rivers Unlimited, B-W Greenway community Land Trust, Springfield conservancy District, Tecumseh Land Trust, Miami Valley Fly Fishers, Friends of Buck Creek and the Medway Area Historical Society.

According to the group, benefits to Clark County are not limited to recreational activities. According to information related to other communities around the state who have rivers with a scenic or recreational status, the local businesses and residents all see improvements. Residents benefit from an increased awareness of the natural beauty of the areas along the river. Increased law enforcement patrols as well as volunteer efforts to clean up the river are realized. Local businesses see an increase in their wallets as families and social groups plan visits to the area to spend time in a hotel, eat at local restaurants, and purchase items from retail outlets and visit family owned businesses in the communities in the area.

There are some interesting facts to consider when thinking of the Mad River. Many of us cross it each day as we travel east on Route 4 into Springfield or west on the I-70 on ramp. As you look over the bridge, you often see waterfowl enjoying a break in or along the river.

The river itself is between 15,000 to 20,000 years-old, and was formed by the melting waters of the most recent glacier, known as the Wisconsinan Glaciation. The glacier crept down from the north to the 40th parallel (the namesake of Route 40), and then began to melt, retreating back to the north. When the melting glacier reached the highest point in the state near Bellefontaine, the melting waters rushed southward, carving out the channel that is now the Mad.

The Mad flows 66 miles and empties into the Great Miami River in Dayton. One-third of this journey covers Clark County. It is unique because it has the highest sustained discharge even in dry conditions than any stream in Ohio. Water from an underground aquifer, the ancient Teays River system, feeds the river, making it unusually cold. This allows it to be one of only two rivers in our state that can support stocked trout. A ride down the Mad takes you through some very unique cliffs closer to Springfield and the areas of Lower Valley Pike that are a designated Ohio Scenic Byway.

Information available suggests that the Mad River is able to support ten-to-fifteen-pound trout. Fly fishing along the river has increased in popularity over the years. Many families travel to enjoy fishing and floating on the Mad during the warmer spring and summer months. Visitors come to the area from Indiana, Kentucky and Northern Ohio and have been doing so for over 25 years.

The Mad River citizen group is looking for support from those in our community who believe that the designation is something that would benefit our area and are willing to make contact with friends, neighbors and local officials such as the Clark County Commissioners, township trustees and city / village officials to encourage their support for the designation.

Plans are under way to host a river clean-up on June 20 from 9 am to 12 pm. Anyone who would like to volunteer can contact the committee at www.scenicmadriver.org or on their Facebook page.

A series of “floats” on the river are also being planned for local officials and others who wish to learn more about the river and how the designation can improve conditions on the river. There are also fly fishing demonstrations planned for the Clark County Fair this year and other interesting fun filled activities related to the river and other conservation groups from the area.

It should be noted that there are 12,000 private businesses in Clark County of which 800 belong to the Chamber of Commerce. The hope is to raise awareness with the chamber members to find support for the designation that would help bring tourism to the community.

In speaking to the importance of the designation, Bob Jurick stated “this is a gift to a community to have a river that meets the criteria”.