Licking River (Ohio)

The Licking River is a tributary of the Muskingum River, about 40 mi (65 km) long, in central Ohio in the United States. Via the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Licking River
Location
CountryUS
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationNewark in Licking County
 • elevation800 ft (240 m)[1]
Mouth 
 • location
Muskingum River in Zanesville
 • elevation
680 ft (210 m)[2]
Basin size779 sq mi (2,020 km2)[3]
Map of the Muskingum River watershed showing the Licking River

Course

The Licking River is formed at Newark in Licking County by the confluence of its north and south forks including many other small fishable streams.

  • The North Fork Licking River, about 35 mi (55 km) long, rises in southwestern Morrow County and initially flows generally east-southeastwardly through Knox County, past Centerburg, into Licking County, where at Utica it turns southwardly and flows past St. Louisville. In Licking County, the North Fork collects the Otter Fork Licking River, which rises in Knox County and flows past Hartford; the Lake Fork Licking River; and the Clear Fork Licking River. The Lake and Clear forks both flow for their entire lengths in Licking County.
  • The South Fork Licking River, about 30 mi (50 km) long, rises in southwestern Licking County and initially flows southeastwardly past Pataskala and Kirkersville and briefly enters Fairfield County, where it turns northeastwardly back into Licking County and flows past Heath.

From Newark, the Licking River flows generally eastwardly through the Black Hand Gorge State Nature Preserve into Muskingum County, where it turns southeastwardly. It joins the Muskingum River at Zanesville; the confluence of the two rivers is spanned by a Y-shaped bridge.

Upstream of Zanesville, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam causes the river to form Dillon Lake, along which an Ohio state park is located.

Flow rate
RiverLocationTime periodAnnual mean discharge
North Fork Licking RiverUSGS stream gauge in NewarkWater years 2011-2019324.3 cu ft/s (9.18 m3/s)[4]
South Fork Licking RiverUSGS stream gauge in HeathWater years 2011-2019263.9 cu ft/s (7.47 m3/s)[5]
Raccoon Creek (tributary of South Fork)USGS stream gauge in NewarkWater years 2011-2019166.1 cu ft/s (4.70 m3/s)[6]
Licking RiverUSGS stream gauge near Dillon FallsWater years 1985-1991922.2 cu ft/s (26.11 m3/s)[7]
Licking Rivermouth (Zanesville)976.9 cu ft/s (27.66 m3/s) (estimate)[8]

Johnny Appleseed
Main article: Johnny Appleseed

Jonathan Chapman (1775-1843), aka Johnny Appleseed, planted his first apple orchard near Licking Creek. He took a load of apple seed from Pennsylvania cider presses into the Territory of Ohio in 1801, according to a Harper magazine article written in November 1871, "Johnny Appleseed - A Pioneer Hero" by W.D. Haley (pp. 830–836).[9][10]

Long, long after, When settlers put up beam and rafter, They asked of the birds, "Who gave this fruit? Who watched this fence till the seeds took root? Who gave these boughs?" They asked the sky, And there was no reply. But the robin might have said, "To the farthest west he has followed the sun, His life and his empire just begun." Self-scourged, like a monk, with a throne for wages, Stripped, like the iron-souled Hindu sages, Draped like a statue, in strings like a scarecrow, His helmet-hat an old tin pan, But worn in the love of the heart of man, More sane than the helm of Tamerlane! Hairy Ainu, wild man of Borneo, Robinson Crusoe - Johnny Appleseed!

And the robin might have said, "Sowing he goes to the far new West, With the apple, the sun of his burning breast- The apple allied to the thorn, Child of the rose." [11]

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Licking River has also been known as:

  • Licking Creek
  • Nepepenime Sepe
  • Pataskala Creek
  • Pataskala River
  • Salt Lick Creek

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey. Newark quadrangle, Ohio. 1:24,000.7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1983.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Zanesville-West quadrangle, Ohio. 1:24,000.7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1992.
  3. "Map of Ohio watersheds". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007.
  4. "USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 03115712". waterdata.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  5. "USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 03145173". waterdata.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  6. "USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 03145534". waterdata.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  7. "USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics for Ohio: USGS 03147500 Licking River bl Dillon Dam near Dillon Falls OH". waterdata.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  8. United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Watershed Report: Licking River". watersgeo.epa.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  9. http://www.appleappetite.com/Johnny.htm
  10. http://mason.gmu.edu/~drwillia/apple/ja2sm.html
  11. the beginning of Vachel Lindsay's 3-part poem entitled "In Praise of Johnny Appleseed

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