Muskingum Watershed celebrates 90 years of conservancy with exhibition

TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) – Our nation was built by the people who came before us, and that history is not only showcased here at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum – it’s celebrated.

They partnered with the Muskingum Watershed Conservatory District (MWCD) as they celebrate their 90^th anniversary.

The district wanted to find a captivating way to tell their story from the beginning, so they created an exhibit within the museum that outlines their history – starting in 1913 all the way up to the present day.

Their story begins 110 years ago when Ohio experienced the most catastrophic weather event in the state’s history – the Great Flood of 1913. The disaster caused a significant amount of damage to property and unfortunately took hundreds of lives.

To prevent such a devastating event from happening again, Ohio signed a law allowing the creation of conservancy districts.

On June 3, 1933, the MWCD was founded and is now celebrating almost a century of conservancy.

“We are the largest conservancy district in the state of Ohio. We still have this this the stewardship of our original creation of flood mitigation reduction, as well as conservation benefits to the region.”
Ethan Zucal | Engagement Outreach Coordinator, MWCD

MWCD covers 20 percent of Ohio, nearly 8,000 square miles, and has jurisdiction in 18 counties. That’s a lot of land.

“We own about 57,000 acres, which 41,000 is land and the other acreage is water. And so those are held pretty much into public use.”
Ethan Zucal | Engagement Outreach Coordinator, MWCD

The exhibition has a variety of historical artifacts as well as photos with captions explaining big events for the district.

For example, since the 1970s, MWCD has planted around 12 MILLION trees – which has helped flood reduction and bringing nutrients back to the soil.

The museum is just as excited to be a part of the celebration saying they have a lot of shared history with the district. The 1913 flood changed the way that railroads and dams operated.

“We pride ourselves on community partnerships and Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District is just a group that’s very aware of educating and sharing stories of our past, present and future with the community of all ages.”
Wendy Zucal | Executive Director of Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

The exhibit officially opens on Saturday, June 3 and will remain in the museum for an entire year. People, both near and far, are encouraged to visit the exhibit to learn more about the region’s history.