Patapsco River, MD

American Rivers is working with the Friends of the Patapsco Valley State Park, the Maryland Department of Natural Resource, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to remove several dams on the beautiful Patapsco River.  Nestled largely within the Patapsco Valley State Park, the Patapsco River flows for almost 35 miles through Elkridge, Ellicott City and other Maryland towns before it reaches Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. The Patapsco is one of the Baltimore area’s hidden jewels, providing the people of Maryland with a favorite fishing hole, trails to wander, segments to canoe and kayak with class I and II rapids, and respite from the summer heat.

However, the Patapsco River is not without problems. In the late 1800s/early 1900s, flour and textile mills were erected along the banks of the Patapsco, and the river was dammed in order to harness her power. Today, the Patapsco River remains fragmented by four dams. This outdated infrastructure blocks passage for migratory fish like American shad, alewife, and American eel. They are also a danger to area swimmers as there have been several deaths at Bloede Dam over the years. Also, while the river sections above and below Simkins and Bloede dams are popular canoe and kayak runs, both sites are difficult to get around and hamper recreation.

Current status of the Patapsco River Restoration: 

• American Rivers was recently awarded $4 million by NOAA through their economic stimulus funding for the removal of the Union and Simkins dams. The Natural Resource Conservation Service has also contributed to the removal of Simkins Dam.
• Union Dam was breached during a major storm and is currently being removed.
• Design plans for the removal of the Simkins Dam are currently underway. The initial portion of this project was funded through the American Rivers-NOAA River Grants program.
• Maryland DNR is undertaking a feasibility study to examine what it would take to remove Bloede Dam. Once the feasibility study is complete, the state can begin to design what they think that removal will look like.
• Maryland DNR and the Patapsco Valley State Park have agreed to consider what it would take to remove Daniels Dam once these downstream blockages have been removed.

However, the Patapsco River Restoration Project is more than just a dam removal project. Because of the Patapsco River’s strategic location and the richness of the resource, we want to use the river to educate local communities on these protection and restoration tools and help more people connect with the river. We also hope to use this project to energize the local community and leverage river protection tools, such as Wild & Scenic status, to make the Patapsco a river the community can be proud of.  Maryland Boating Facility and Access Planning out of Maryland DNR have also expressed an interest in this project and in creating additional points of access. Once the river is restored, we envision working with the state to potentially create another well known Maryland blue trail along the Patapsco. 

 
For more information, contact Serena McClain with American Rivers at 202-347-7550.

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