Get your feet wet at Crawdad Derby
Visitors of all ages are invited to test their crawdad-catching skills, try stream-based activities and learn how to be a good river steward.
Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Parks and Watercraft, the Crawdad Derby will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mohican State Park’s campground shelter house.
Visitors of all ages are invited to test their crawdad-catching skills, try stream-based activities and learn how to be a good river steward. In addition to a contest for catching the largest crayfish, eventgoers can see fish and insects that live in the Clear Fork and try out a fly-fishing rod and learn about the water cycle, water safety and how to prevent runoff pollution. Kids who try all the activities will earn a Junior Scenic River Guide Badge.
The day will provide opportunities for people who want to get even more hands-on with helping their river. The newly formed Friends of the Mohican River will conduct a river clean-up starting at 10 a.m. with the event concluding in time to enjoy the crawdad festivities. To register for the river clean-up, email irvoslin@gmail.com.
“Walking in a creek and catching crayfish is a joy that we’d like all kids to experience,” said Heather Doherty, Central Ohio Scenic River Program manager. “We’re proud that scenic rivers are beautiful, inviting places that host bountiful communities of crayfish and many other animals.”
Fifty years ago Ohio pioneered the river conservation movement when it passed the nation’s first Scenic River Act in February 1968. There are now 14 designated wild, scenic and recreational rivers in Ohio.
The Mohican River was designated as a state scenic river in 2006. More than 4 miles of the Clear Fork, a tributary stream, also is designated from the Pleasant Hill Lake dam to where it flows into the Black Fork to form the Mohican River.
“Water is an elemental need and something that people have been long drawn to,” said David Greer, local resident and lead organizer of the designation of the Mohican State Scenic River. “Not only do these high-quality streams harbor healthy habitats, but they are inviting to both the outdoor recreational enthusiast and casual visitor.”
At the derby residents also can learn about becoming a scenic river water quality monitoring volunteer. Volunteers help ensure the health of the river by taking water-quality samples at designated sampling locations three times per year.
Learn more about the Scenic River Program at watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/scenicrivers or call 419-265-5848 or email Lisa.Katz-Durham@dnr.state.oh.us for event information.