Willow
Bend
Habitat
The Willow Bend walking path follows the
contours of the housing area, starting at a pine grove in the southwest corner
of the development, following for a short distance a small creek and its
picturesque ravine. The trail rises to pass along the eastern boundaries of the
subdivision, dropping once again to meet another small stream at its northern
terminus. The trek around Willow Bend showcases varied woodlands, steams, white-tailed
deer and many small plants and animals.
Alum Creek Lake
and its watershed, which includes a stream that carves its way through the
Willow Bend subdivision, directly impact the habitat of nearby communities.
(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)
The small creek
flows west out of the subdivision and into Orange Township, where it meets Alum
Creek about a mile to the west. The creek, dammed just to the north to fill Alum
Creek Reservoir, flows to the south, joining Blacklick Creek and Big Walnut
Creek at Three Creeks Metro Park in Franklin County. Ohio shale cliffs are
notable in many areas of the watershed, exposed as the flowing waters cut
through underlying bedrock. The deep
coves with standing timber provide excellent habitat for native fish, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black and white
crappie, white bass and channel catfish. Also, Ohio’s Division of Wildlife
annually stocks the lake with saugeye and muskellunge.