Prettyboy Reservoir is a reservoir in the Hereford Zone of northern Baltimore County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. While the reservoir is in Baltimore County, the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

owns the reservoir and the surrounding land. The reservoir is one of three reservoirs created to supply the municipal water system for Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and northern

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...

constructed by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Prettyboy Reservoir, along with

Loch Raven Reservoir The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland. It is fed by the Gunpowder River, Big Gunpowder Falls river, and has a capacity of ...

further down the Big Gunpowder Falls, provide about 61% of the drinking water for the

Baltimore metropolitan area The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It is part of the larger ...

system; for this reason, the Prettyboy is considered a "source water" or drinking water watershed. The reservoir contains about of water on average. The water from Prettyboy Reservoir is transferred to Loch Raven via Gunpowder Falls rather than directly to Baltimore. It is then transferred via tunnel from Loch Raven to the Montebello Filtration Plants in Baltimore for treatment and distribution. Prettyboy Dam, completed in 1932, impounds the Gunpowder Falls to create the Reservoir. The dam has a spillway crest elevation of above mean sea level and covers about . According to tradition, the reservoir was named after a settler's horse, Pretty Boy, who drowned in a nearby creek. Parts of the Gunpowder River watershed also serve as Gunpowder Falls State Park. The reservoir area serves as land for hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, fishing, and boating. Hunting is also permitted, though limited to archery with a special permit. Swimming in the reservoir is prohibited. Sport bike riders and sports car enthusiasts also use the roads in the parklands that surround the reservoir.

Kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

and Tubing (recreation), tubing enthusiasts float or paddle the Lower Gunpowder Falls from the dam down to Falls Road or Masemore Road. The river between those two points contains mainly Flatwater to class II rapids, but one section contains a class III when the water level is normal or higher. Heavy spring rains mean that both gates at the dam may be opened to allow excess water through. Increased water levels make for excellent kayaking because of the narrow width of Gunpowder Falls' valley. Officers of the Special Department of Public Works, and occasionally

Baltimore Police Department The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Dating back to 1784, the BPD, consisting of 2,935 employees in 2020, is organized into nine districts covering of land and of waterw ...

officers, patrol all three of the metropolitan area's watersheds. On June 23, 2008, Prettyboy Reservoir became the site of the first rescue performed by the Baltimore County Fire Department using a helicopter with rescuers dangling from a rope. The victim was a 30-year-old woman who had injured herself while walking her dog. The department had just been trained in the rescue two weeks prior to the incident.Topic Galleries - baltimoresun.com
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Gallery

File:Pretty Boy Dam Water.jpg, Aerial view File:Pretty Boy Dam.jpg, Prettyboy Dam File:Prettyboy Reservoir Dam.jpg, Dam spillway File:Pretty Boy Dam Front.jpg, Prettyboy Dam

References

External links

Prettyboy Watershed AllianceMetro Reservoir Anglers, Inc.
{{authority control Protected areas of Baltimore County, Maryland Chesapeake Bay watershed Reservoirs in Maryland Bodies of water of Baltimore County, Maryland