Jennings Randolph Lake

Jennings Randolph Lake is a reservoir of 952 acres (3.85 km2) located on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. It is approximately eight miles upstream of Bloomington, Maryland, and approximately five miles north of Elk Garden, West Virginia.

Jennings Randolph Lake
Jennings Randolph Lake in 2005.
Jennings Randolph Lake
LocationGarrett County, Maryland / Mineral County, West Virginia, United States
Coordinates39.432595°N 79.121699°W / 39.432595; -79.121699
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsNorth Branch Potomac River
Primary outflowsNorth Branch Potomac River
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length6.6 miles (10.6 km)[1]
Surface area952 acres (3.85 km2)[1]
Max. depth296 feet (90 m)[1]
Surface elevation1,460 feet (450 m)[2]

Construction and management

The lake was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as authorized by the Flood Control Act of October 23, 1962 (Public Law 87-874) and is described in House Document No. 469, 87th United States Congress, second session. Originally named "Bloomington Dam", it was renamed Jennings Randolph Lake in 1987 to honor the US Senator from West Virginia who was instrumental in this and many other water resource projects across the nation. Construction of the lake was completed in 1981,[3] and resulted in the flooding of the community of Shaw, West Virginia and the realignment of West Virginia Route 46.[4] The dam, rolled earth and rock fill, is 296 feet high, has a crest length of 2,130 feet and contains 10 million cubic yards of material. Jennings Randolph Lake strives to provide water quality improvements and reduce flood damages downstream of the lake, provide a source of water supply for downstream municipalities and industries, and provide the public with recreation opportunities. With a full conservation pool, the lake, controls a drainage area of 263 square miles, and is about 5.5 miles long and has a surface area of 952 acres. The lake, which serves as an emergency reservoir for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, is managed by the Corps of Engineers.[5] Coordination of the lake's use for water supply purposes is managed by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB).

The impoundment also collects acid mine drainage from coal mines located upstream, which improves the water quality of the river downstream.[6]

Planned hydroelectric facility

In 2008 Fairlawn Hydroelectric Company filed a proposal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to construct a hydroelectric facility at the dam.[7] FERC approved a license for a 14 MW facility on April 30, 2012.[8] In 2016, Fairlawn Hydroelectric reported that it had not yet obtained construction permits from USACE, and it obtained an extension of time from FERC to begin and complete the project.[9]

Recreational facilities
  • Howell Run Picnic Area
  • Howell Run Boat Launch
  • Robert W. Craig Campground
  • Shaw Beach
  • West Virginia Overlook
  • Maryland Overlook
  • Maryland Boat Launch
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References
  1. http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dams-Recreation/Jennings-Randolph-Lake
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Jennings Randolph Lake
  3. Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. Rockville, MD. "Co-op History." Archived 2011-01-05 at the Wayback Machine Updated 2010-07-08.
  4. United States Geological Survey, Kitzmiller, Md.-W. Va. 1:24000 quadrangle, 1950 edition
  5. U.S Army Corps of Engineers. Baltimore District. "Jennings Randolph Lake." Accessed March 9, 2008.
  6. Garrett County Government, Oakland, Maryland (November 2014). Garrett County Water and Sewerage Master Plan; 2014 Revision (Draft) (PDF) (Report). pp. 2–10. Retrieved 2015-05-31.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Fairlawn Hydroelectric Company, LLC.; Notice of Intent To File License Application, 73 F.R. 30390 (May 27, 2008).
  8. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, MD (February 2015). "Jennings Randolph Lake, MD & WV; Fact Sheet as of February 2015."
  9. Order Granting Stay; Fairlawn Hydroelectric Company, LLC; Project No. 12715-008 (PDF) (Report). Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 2016-09-22. 156 FERC 61,197.
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