Shelby County is located in the Till Plains ecoregion. The NW corner of the county is within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 12 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map). The remainder of the county drains into the Ohio River Basin through the Great Miami River (see Rivers of Shelby County, Ohio).

Places to Visit

• The Great Miami River runs across the county from the East to the South. It is most accessible in the Sidney area, especially in the Custenborder Field area west of Riverside Dr. Species here include Dragonhunter, Flag-tailed Spinyleg, Royal River Cruiser. The Great Miami River Water Trail Map provides guidance on river access and facilities.

• Tawawa Park is a 220 acre complex where Mosquito Creek joins the Great Miami River. Mosquito Creek is frequently wadable. Tawawa also has several spring-fed ponds that feed into Tawawa Lake. There is habitat for a variety of pond dragons and damsels. The outlet from Tawawa Lake has 5 species of Argia (Dancers) mixed in with American Rubyspot and Ebony Jewelwing. Many parking areas and trails. Restrooms are available.

• Sidney Roadside Park South of Sidney on S Main Ave is Roadside Park (900 S Main Ave, Sidney, OH 45365). There is a small pond and access to the Great Miami River. Parking is available and sometimes a commode restroom. GMR can be waded at this location. The pond is algae-covered by late summer.

• Lake Loramie State Park Lake 1,655-acre Lake Loramie was created by damming Loramie Creek. Originally serving as a canal feeder, today it serves recreational uses. Has restrooms. Over 4.5 mi from the dam east to ramp at SR 119, Lake Loramie provides diverse Odonata habitat. 34 species have been recorded, including most of the still-water dragons and damsels. The state-listed Jade Clubtail can be found all around the lake in late June.

• Lockington Reserve,  Lockington Dam was one of the dams built as a part of the Miami Conservancy District. 27 species have recently been identified. There is parking, but no restrooms. Trails exist, but getting to water is challenging.

County Observation Activity

This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in blue, with the average for all Ohio counties in orange. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.