The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland. It is fed by the Big Gunpowder Falls river, and has a capacity of of water. Originally built in 1881 as a dam and water tunnel to channel water to Lake Montebello and Lake Clifton, a new dam, creating a modern large reservoir lake, was constructed in 1914 in efforts to increase the municipal water supply, submerging the cotton mill town of Warren. In 1923, the dam was elevated from, and was viewed by many as a step towards the re-vitalization of Baltimore after the Great Fire of 1904. In addition to providing potable drinking water to Baltimore City and Baltimore County, the lake serves as a park and recreational area for the public to enjoy.
History
The reservoir began as ordinance 141 of the Baltimore City Council in 1908, and the initial funding of $5,000,000 USD. The dam was constructed between 1912 and 1914 and when completed its crest was above mean sea level, and from the original valley floor. The dam consisted of of concrete and impounded. Seven miles of new roads were constructed as well as three new bridges. The only original bridge that still remains is on Warren Road. Additionally a steel pipe was built at a length of from the upper to the lower dam, which connected with the main tunnel running to Lake Montebello in Baltimore.
Bridges
The reservoir is home to several historic bridges, four having been built for roads to cross the reservoir. Loch Raven Drive's original bridge was built in 1906 on a dangerous road that included a hairpin turn which caused many accidents. In 1988 the bridge was removed in favor of a safer bridge. The second bridge was built in 1914 on Maryland 146 and known as the Matthews Bridge. The Matthews Bridge was demolished in 1978 in favor of a more modern bridge. The third bridge is the Old Paper Mill Bridge, built in 1922 on Maryland 145 in place of a covered bridge that once stood there. An accompanying span was built in 2001 that now handles road traffic, but the 1922 bridge has been preserved for recreational use. The final bridge is on Warren Rd. The bridge was built in 1923 and still in use to this day. On October 26, 1958 one of the bridges was the site of a UFO sighting when two men in a car approached the bridge and reported seeing a "large, flat egg-shaped object" hovering above the bridge. Then the two men felt a burning sensation on their skin after the odd object left and were examined at a local hospital. This case was investigated by Project Blue Book.
Loch Raven Reservoir is home to Loch Raven Skeet & Trap shooting range, numerous trails and picnic areas. Visitors can also go fishing or boat in their personal watercraft, and boats may also be rented dockside. The reservoir also has running trails and a frisbee golf course. In addition to these trails, on weekends Loch Raven Drive between Morgan Mill Road and Providence Road are closed to cars to allow use by pedestrians. However, because the reservoir is used to provide drinking water, swimming in it is prohibited. Officers of the Watershed Police of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works patrol the reservoir and its surroundings.
