Grand Lake St. Marys
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| Grand Lake St. Marys | |
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| Location | Ohio, United States |
| Lake type | artificial lake |
| Surface area | 13,500 acres (55 km²) |
| Average depth | 5-7 ft (1.5-2 m) |
| Islands | Safety Island |
Grand Lake St. Marys is an artificial lake located just southeast of Celina, Ohio and just west of St. Marys, Ohio. The lake covers 13,500 acres (55 km²) in Auglaize and Mercer counties. Grand Lake St. Marys is the largest inland lake in Ohio in terms of land area, but is extremely shallow, with an average depth of only 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 m). It was constructed in the early 1800s as a reservoir for the Miami and Erie Canal. In the 1890's oil was discovered in the area, and oil derricks were set up in the lake. In 1949, it was made one of Ohio's first state parks. The lake and the surrounding state park are a popular site for recreational fishing and camping, and there are four swimming beaches. At one point it was the largest human-made body of water in the world.
Officially, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the name of the lake is simply "Grand Lake". But the lake is nearly always printed on maps as "Grand Lake St. Marys", possibly because the address of the park office is listed as "St. Marys, OH".
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