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The year was 1955. Fairfield had just established itself as a village. It was also the first year for mining operations of the Ohio Gravel Company in the sand- and gravel-rich deposits north of what is now Marsh Lake. The permit was part of a deal between the new village and the company, which agreed to donate the land to the community when operations ceased.

A quote from the agreement says, “As work on a portion of the property is completed, we will put that land in condition for the development of a recreation area. When the entire operation on East River Road is complete, the land will be deeded over to the Fairfield Village.”

The words in the agreement are soon to be a reality after 52 years. The City of Fairfield and the current gravel company owner Martin Marietta Aggregates (MMA) in 2004 agreed to negotiations about Marsh Lake operations and remaining mining area.

During the 2 year time period, a study was conducted to evaluate mineral reserves, and how long it will take to extract them. The Fairfield Parks staff also toured MMA representatives around Marsh Park to share the many success stories about the lake. (The current arrangement for City use of Marsh Park is via a 99 year lease agreement, of which 91 years remain.)

In August 2006, MMA announced the beginning of final mining operations this year. Two lakes currently exist on the site. The current mining plan is to connect the lakes by removing the land in between, possibly leaving an island. The existing bodies of water will grow by almost 10 acres and, upon completion, about 139 acres will be deeded to the City of Fairfield for recreational use. The target date for completion is summer of 2011, or sooner.

Final mining operations are expected to start at the end of March, weather permitting. The work is expected to be a small, isolated and controlled operation. The existing grounds and pay lake will remain open during the mining work, with green space separating the neighborhoods from the lake throughout the operation.

An informational letter detailing the plans will be sent to area residents in the Marsh Lake neighborhoods beginning in February. The work will be limited to the gravel reserves adjacent to Marsh Park and will not impact the long-term ongoing operations of MMA on the west side of river road.

This is the initial phase of a larger master plan that not only involves Marsh Park, but also another 27 acres of land in Fairfield Township purchased from MMA by Fairfield in 2004, as well as a 4 acre parcel donated by MMA in Ross Township. The 31 acres in that area includes river frontage and is commonly known as the historic Black Bottom area. The plan for this rich flat flood plain nestled along the Great Miami River includes a canoe livery, environmental training and — in time — Fairfield’s southerly leg of the bike trail system.