Galena sits at the confluence of Big Walnut and Little Walnut Creeks. Its village square was once surrounded on all four sides by buildings, and commercial properties on stilts once lined Big Walnut Creek. Columbus considered them hazardous, and they were demolished when construction of Hoover Reservoir began in 1953. Numerous roads leading from the square were eliminated, and a third of the village was demolished when the land was flooded to create a drinking water supply for Columbus. Hoover Dam impounds 2,818 acres of water and creates prime fishing and boating areas. The area surrounding the lake includes parks, boat launches, boating areas, and the Hoover Dam Nature Preserve. The reservoir's north end is classified as an Important Birding Area. The lake usually dries up in the fall, winter, and spring, and the resulting mudflats are a key migratory stopping point on the North American Flyway for song and shore birds to rest and eat during their long journeys. This nature lovers' paradise includes eagles, waterfowl, and beavers. Birds can be viewed from the City of Columbus' Hoover Boardwalk on Front Street in Galena. Local volunteers installed osprey platforms to assist in reintroducing these fish hawks in Central Ohio, and boaters are urged to avoid the breeding platform areas because that is very important to the osprey's breeding success. Hoover is also a Prothonotary Warblers reintroduction breeding ground that has attracted conservationists worldwide to study its success. These colorful migratory song birds are attracted by the plentiful insects near the nest boxes over the water.