Big Darby Creek
| Big Darby Creek | |
|---|---|
| Basin features | |
| River mouth | Scioto River, Columbus, Ohio |
| River system | Lower Scioto River Basin |
| Basin size | 556.6 square miles (1,442 km2) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 84 miles (135 km) |
The Big Darby Creek is a river located in northwestern central Ohio, and an important tributary to the Lower Scioto River. The river's major tributary is the Little Darby Creek.
The river runs 84 miles (135 km) from its source near the Champaign-Union county line, south-east through Union and Madison Counties. In Franklin County, the river runs through the 6856-acre Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, where it meets with the Little Darby Creek. Directly downstream from the park, the river empties into the Scioto River in Pickaway County at 39°36′50″N 82°57′47″W / 39.613805°N 82.963108°W.
The Big Darby Creek is one of the most biologically diverse aquatic systems in the Midwest. It is the site of the only known population of the Scioto madtom, a fish which is now thought to be extinct. In addition, for its size the creek "has the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in North America. Forty species have been reported from the system."
When The Columbus Dispatch published an article in 1967 revealing the City of Columbus' plans to purchase over four thousand acres (16 km²) along the creek to build a reservoir, a political and legal battle ensued between the municipality and several environmental groups working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. From 1974 to 1984, both sides exchanged victories and the legal battle continued into the Ohio Supreme Court, who ended the battle by ruling that 'scenic river designation' was constitutional. On June 22, 1984, the Upper and Lower Darby Creeks were designated a state scenic river, and then a national scenic river on October 3, 1994.
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