The Clear Fork is a principal

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Mohican River The Mohican River is a principal tributary of the Walhonding River, about long, in north-central Ohio in the United States. Via the Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area ...

, long,Ohio Department of Natural Resources
''A Guide to Ohio Streams.''Chapter 10: Major Ohio Watersheds (pdf)
in north central

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Via the Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum and

Rivers, it is part of the

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, draining an area of . According to the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

, it has also been known historically as "Clear Creek" and as "Clear Fork Mohecan Creek". The Clear Fork rises in northeastern Morrow County and flows generally eastwardly through southern Richland and Ashland Counties, past the towns of Lexington, Bellville and

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

, and through Mohican State Park. It joins the Black Fork to form the Mohican River in Ashland County, about southwest of Loudonville. Upstream of Lexington, a 1949

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

causes the river to form

Clear Fork Reservoir The Clear Fork Reservoir is a reservoir (as a man-made lake) on the Clear Fork river in the area of Richland County and Morrow County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It was designed and built in 1949 to be the main source of drinking water for the ...

, which provides drinking water to the city of Mansfield. In Ashland County, a 1936

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...

dam causes the river to form Pleasant Hill Lake.USACE site for Pleasant Hill Lake
/ref>

References

Rivers of Ohio Rivers of Ashland County, Ohio Rivers of Morrow County, Ohio Rivers of Richland County, Ohio {{Ohio-river-stub

See also

References