Kiser Lake (Ohio)
Kiser Lake (previously also known as Mosquito Lake) is a reservoir in Champaign County, Ohio located approximately 4.2 miles (6.8 km) northwest of St. Paris and 34 miles (55 km) north of Dayton along Ohio State Route 235, at 40°11′17″N 83°57′56″W.[1]. The community of Grandview Heights sits on the southern shore of the lake, the 51 acres (21 ha) Kiser Lake Wetlands State Nature Preserve at the headwaters on the southeastern edge, and the 531 acres (215 ha) Kiser Lake State Park surrounds the rest of the lake to the north.
| Kiser Lake | |
|---|---|
 Kiser Lake viewed from the south | |
  Kiser Lake | |
| Location | Champaign County, Ohio, USA |
| Coordinates | 40°11′17″N 83°57′56″W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) |
| Max. width | 0.3 miles (0.48 km) |
| Surface area | 394 acres (159 ha) |
| Average depth | 18 feet (5.5 m) |
| Shore length1 | 5.3 miles (8.5 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,063 feet (324 m) |
| Settlements | Grandview Heights |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
History
Mosquito Lake was first created in 1840, when a dam was built across Mosquito Creek in the low, swampy region of Champaign County known as Mosquito Creek Valley to build a grist and saw mill. After operations at the mill were shut down, the dam and lake were neglected for several years.[2] In 1932, John W. Kiser and his family owned the land and donated several hundred acres to the State of Ohio to rebuild the lake for recreational purposes. In 1939 work on the dam started, and in 1940, all work was completed on the dam and Kiser Lake was filled.[3]
The lake is maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.