Great Black Swamp

Common card · No. 211277

The Great Black Swamp (or Black Swamp) was a glacially fed wetland in northwest Ohio, northeast Indiana, and southeast Michigan that existed from the end of the Wisconsin glaciation until the late 19th century. Comprising extensive swamps and marshes interspersed with drier ground, it occupied what was formerly the southwestern part of proglacial Lake Maumee, a precursor to Lake Erie. It was the home of Indigenous nations for thousands of years until forced Indian removal in the early 19th century. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources stated the Great Black Swamp covered 3,072,000 acres (1,243,000 ha) and its Lake Erie marshes covered 300,000 acres (120,000 ha). Other estimates claim the wetlands covered 1,500 square miles (3,900 km2); or 2,600 square miles (6,700 km2); or were 140 miles (230 km) wide. Ohio has lost more than 90% of its wetlands, 60% of which were in the Great Black Swamp region. The swamp was drained between 1859 and 1885 to become highly productive farmland, enabling...

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