Rocky Fork Creek

I spoke with the Army Corps of Engineers about how to obtain a special release from Rocky Fork Lake. I had always heard that for $50, any group could get together and get a release scheduled. This is not true at all...or not any more at least. Here is the info that I got...

The Nature Conservency owns the majority of the land throughout Rocky Fork Gorge. Due to some form of mussles that are living in this stream, The Conservency does not want the lake releasing water into what was originally a natural flow only streambed. So the two groups have worked together to come to an agreement. There are three weekends per year that Rocky Fork will release water. If I recall correctly, these dates are in March, May and October and are specifically for recreational paddlers and beginner clinics through Outdoor Adventure Club in Dayton and a club out of Columbus. There is no longer any way to obtain a special release. The remainder of the year, Rocky Fork runs under natural flow only.

This is a beautiful stretch of class I-II stream and is certainly worth the time and effort to paddle it. Just dont expect much in the way of whitewater. The scenery is, at points, absolutely breathtaking and is extremely unique to Ohio. Its great for beginners and the nice pools offer up opportunities to work on obtaining a roll.

Be sure to bring a camera on this stretch of stream...you will want it! And once you are off the river, take the time to visit 7 caves and make a full day out of your trip into the farmlands of Ohio....there is very little else around there other then Rocky Fork lake and Paint Creek lake which are about 10 minutes apart.