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1. Darby Plains
2 1/2 % of pre-colonization Ohio was prairie.
The Darby Creek watershed contained
numerous open prairie areas which
became a blaze of color every summer.
2. A Midwinter’s Snow
The receding glaciers from 15,000 - 20,000
years ago cut paths though the gently
rolling hills and great expanses of
glacial till to form the original course
for the stream.
3. A Frozen Waterway
Big Darby Creek is approximately 80
miles long and drains 580 square miles
of relatively flat land in west central
Ohio, just west of Columbus. Its
headwaters are just west of Marysville, Ohio;
its confluence with the Scioto River
is at Circleville, Ohio.
4. Roots at Dusk
Tree roots tenaciously try to hold the
creekbank in place while the opposing
forces of snow meltwaters and rain run-
off form the opposition that tries to
carry all the land downstream.
5. Indian Mound
Earthen mounds such as this remind us
that the creek was important to Native
Americans for hundreds of years. This
site was constructed by members of
the Fort Ancient culture. Darby Creek
derives its name from Darby,
a Wyandot Chief.
6. Spring Floods - A Curse, A Blessing
Spring floodwaters overflow the normal
channel of the creek and into the flat
adjacent lands. This fast flowing water
scours away vegetation that is not
adequately rooted; and, as the current
flow lulls, silt and particulate matter
is deposited enriching the soil.
7. Deer Crossing
In recent decades, plans were made to
flood this section of the creek for
recreational and municipal water supply
purposes, but over 30 organizations
varying from citizen groups to government
agencies help preserve Darby Creek.
Hopefully they will continue in the future.
8. Under Watchful Eyes
Staying close to parents brings protection
to tiny goslings. Preditors may be near,
or the swift current may sweep an
uncautious individual to almost certain
death downstream.
9. Unfolding of Spring
Mayapples begin to spread their leaves on
the slopes of the creekbank heralding the
coming of spring. Plant growth on the bank
filters runoff water and holds soil in place.
10. Clear Water
Occasionally, the water of modern-day
Darby Creek flows as clear as it did for
most of the centuries before. When silt-
laden agricultural runoff is minimized and
groundwater springs feed the creek,
crystal clear water brings added freshness
to the spring season of the year.
11. Sapling and Monarch
A young Buckeye sapling begins another
year’s growth toward becoming a great
monarch in the deciduous forest of the
riparian corridor along the creek.
12. Mussels Mean Clean
Darby Creek is home to forty-four species
of freshwater mussels. Their populations
are sensitive to pollution and flooded
habitat. Scientists study their numbers as
early warning signals of trouble in a
creek’s ecosystem. Darby Creek has more
mussels than most creeks in the region.
13. Home for a Toad
Biodiversity is an important attribute of
Darby Creek. Besides this Woodhouse’s
toad, it is home to many species of wildlife:
such as 170 species of birds, 34 species
of mammals, and over 85 species of fish.
14. Dawn
In 1984 and 1994 Darby Creek was de-
signated as a State and National Scenic
River respectively. These designations
provided firmer protection for the future
of Darby Creek.
15. Mallard Returns
Spring migration brings many traveling
species of birds to the creek and its sur-
rounding woodlands and prairies. Some
individuals refresh themselves and travel
on north; others make this area their home.
16. Sunshine to Warm the Cool Night
The riparian corridor (derived from the
Latin word ripa which means river bank)
serves as a buffer between the upland
areas and the creek. Surface runoff is
filtered and even occasionally ponded,
resulting in biofiltration that improves
water quality before it reaches the stream.
17. Tenaciously Holding On
Great hardwood trees grow along the
creek. Their foliage creates a canopy that
absorbs the heat of the summer’s sun and
buffers the temperature of the creek water.
18. Morning Rain At Deer Crossing
When I walk along Darby Creek, I begin to
understand the real meaning of ecology. It’s
about relationships between organisms and
their environment. The rocks, rain, water,
plants, and deer are all interconnected.
Changing one factor affects the others.
19. Summer’s Thunderstorm
Of all the precipitation that falls in North
America, 42% of it is carried to the oceans
by streams and rivers. The rest evaporates
or becomes groundwater. Of all the water
on the planet, only 0.0001% is in a stream
or river at any moment.
20. Autumn Reflections
The calm Autumn afternoon brings
tranquil moments of reflection to a
traveler along the creek. This scene
contrasts the time of a few months
earlier when the raging current ripped
soil from the bank of the stream.
21. A Little Blue Mist
In 1991 The Nature Conservancy
designated Big Darby Creek as one of
the dozen Last Great Places of the
Western Hemisphere.
22. Autumn in the Riparian Corridor
Fallen leaves provide a covering for the
riparian corridor along the creek. These
leaves will protect the soil from the impact
of rain and the erosional effect of runoff
down the hill slopes for many months.
23. Two Deer Families
Many animals choose different environ-
ments for their daily activities. For
example, deer need areas to drink, gather
food, or hide as they chew their cud. The
riparian corridor is often a boundary area
between different types of environments
and has high animal activity.
24. Autumn - Above and Below
Autumn marks the end of the growing
season for the trees; but it’s just another
part of the energy cycle in the creek’s eco-
system. Energy and organic matter are
transferred from the decaying leaves to
the stream’s current in the form of “fine
particulate organic material” and “dis-
solved organic material”.
25. Autumn Along Darby Creek
Thoreau asked, “What would it profit if
man gained a whole continent, but in
the process lost contact with the
wellspring of human renewal?”
