Patapsco River
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The Patapsco River (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell Template:ErrorTemplate:Category handler) mainstem is a Script error: No such module "convert".[1] river in central Maryland that flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore. With its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howard County, Maryland. The name "Patapsco" is derived from the Algonquian pota-psk-ut, which translates to "backwater" or "tide covered with froth".[2]
History
Captain John Smith was the first European to explore the river, noting it on his 1612 map as the Bolus River. The "Red river", named after the clay color, is considered the "old Bolus", as other branches were also labeled Bolus on maps.[3] As the river was not navigable beyond Elkridge, it was not a significant path of commerce; in 1723, only one ship was listed as serving the northern branch, and four others operating around the mouth.[4]
The first land record regarding Parr's Springs, the source of the South Branch, dates from 1744, when John Parr laid out a Script error: No such module "convert". tract he called Parr's Range. During the Civil War, Parr's Spring was a stop for the Army of the Potomac's Brig. Gen. David M. Gregg's cavalry, on 29 June 1863, while en route to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.[5] Parr's Spring was dug to form a Script error: No such module "convert". pond in the 1950s, filled by seven spring heads that form the headwaters of the South Branch of the Patapsco River.[6]
Beginning in the 1770s, the Patapsco River became the center of Maryland industrialization.[7] Milling and manufacturing operations abounded along the river throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, generally powered by small dams. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's original main line was constructed in 1829 west along the Patapsco Valley; the nation's first railroad, the route remains, though much altered. Many railroad bridges were built in the valley, including the Thomas Viaduct, which is still in use, and the Patterson Viaduct, now in ruins. The 1907 hydropower Bloede's Dam powered flour mills.
An 1868 flood washed away 14 houses and killed 39 people around Ellicott City. A 1923 flood topped bridges. In 1952, an Template:Cvt wall of water swept the shops of Ellicott City. A 1956 flood severely damaged the Bartigis Brothers plant.[8] In 1972, rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes damaged Ellicott City and the Old Main Line. Two died in the July 2016 Maryland flood that ravaged Main Street in Ellicott City, followed two years later by a May 2018 Maryland flood that took the life of a rescuer.[9]
The mouth of the Patapsco River forms Baltimore Harbor, the site of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. This is where Francis Scott Key, aboard the British Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner", a poem later set to music as the national anthem of the United States. Today, a red, white, and blue buoy marks where the ship was anchored.
Bloede's Dam, a hydroelectric dam built in 1906, was on the Patapsco River within Patapsco Valley State Park, a nearly complete barrier to anadromous fish passage. Although a fish ladder was installed in 1992, it blocked five of six native fish species trying to run upstream to spawn.[10] Efforts to remove Bloede's Dam began in the 1980s when nine drowning deaths occurred, and also to restore fish passage to a large portion of the Patapsco River watershed.[11][12] Dam demolition began on 12 September 2018, opening the fishery and creating a rocky rapid for kayaking.[13] Two dams upstream of Bloede's Dam, Simkins and Union, were removed in 2010.[14][15] The removal of Bloede's Dam leaves Daniels Dam, Script error: No such module "convert". upstream, as the last remaining dam along the mainstem Patapsco River.[10]
In the early hours of 26 March 2024, the Script error: No such module "convert". Francis Scott Key Bridge, which carried Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River, was struck by a container ship and partially collapsed into the river.[16]
Course
The Script error: No such module "convert".[1] South Branch rises at Parr's Spring, where Howard County, Carroll, Frederick, and Montgomery counties meet. The latter begins at elevation Script error: No such module "convert". on Parr's Ridge, just south of Interstate 70 and east of Ridge Road (Highway 27), Script error: No such module "convert". south of Mount Airy, Maryland.[1] The South Branch Patapsco River traces the southern boundary of Carroll County and the northern boundary of Howard County.
The North Branch flows Script error: No such module "convert".[1] southward from its origins in Carroll County. Liberty Dam and its reservoir on the North Branch are major components of the Baltimore City water system.[17]
The Patapsco River mainstem begins at the confluence of the North and South Branches, near Marriottsville, about Script error: No such module "convert". west of downtown Baltimore. Through most of its length, the Patapsco is a minor river flowing mostly through a narrow valley. Patapsco Valley State Park extends along Script error: No such module "convert". of the Patapsco and its branches, encompassing Script error: No such module "convert". in five areas. The river cuts a gorge 100 to 200 feet (35–70 m) deep within the park, with rocky cliffs and tributary waterfalls.
The last Script error: No such module "convert"., form a large tidal estuary inlet of Chesapeake Bay. Two lobes of the harbor deviate from the "mainstem" harbor: the Middle Branch Patapsco River, into which the Gwynns Falls flows; and the Northwest Branch Patapsco River, into which the Jones Falls flows. The inner part of this estuary provides the harbor of Baltimore. Thoms Cove is further down the main harbor. The Patapsco estuary is south of the Back River and north of the Magothy River.
Tributaries
The Patapsco has a watershed (including the water surface) of Script error: No such module "convert"..[15] <templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>
- Deep Run (Carroll County)
- Board Run (Baltimore County)
- Roaring Run (Carroll County)
- Liberty Reservoir (Carroll/Baltimore Counties)
- Piney Run (Carroll County)
- Keysers Run (Baltimore County)
- Beaver Run (Carroll County)
- Norris Run (Baltimore County)
- Timber Run (Baltimore County)
- Middle Run (Carroll County)
- Morgan Run (Carroll County)
- Locust Run (Baltimore County)
- Snowdens Run (Carroll County)
- Falls Run (Baltimore County)
- South Branch Patapsco River
- Davis Branch (Howard County)
- Brice Run (Baltimore County)
- Bens Run (Baltimore County)
- Cedar Branch (Baltimore County)
- Miller Run (Baltimore County)
- Sucker Branch (Howard County)
- Tiber River (Howard County)
- Cooper Branch (Baltimore County)
- Bonnie Branch (Howard County)
- Sawmill Branch (Baltimore County)
- Cascade Falls (Howard County)
- Soapstone Branch (Baltimore County)
- Rockburn Branch (Howard County)
- Deep Run (Howard/Anne Arundel County)
- Stony Run (Anne Arundel County)
- Herbert Run (Baltimore County)
- Holly Creek (Anne Arundel County)
- Middle Branch to Gwynns Falls (Baltimore City)
- Northwest Harbor to Jones Falls (Baltimore City)
- Colgate Creek (Baltimore City)
- Curtis Creek (Baltimore City)
- Bear Creek (Baltimore County)
- Cox Creek (Anne Arundel County)
- Stoney Creek (Anne Arundel County)
- Rock Creek (Anne Arundel County)
- Old Road Bay (Baltimore County)
- Bodkin Creek (Anne Arundel County)
Ecology and conservation
The removal of Bloede's Dam in September 2018, opened up Script error: No such module "convert". of the Patapsco River watershed, which will potentially restore spawning runs of at least six species of native anadromous fish: alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), hickory shad (Alosa mediocris), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), as only one species, sea lamprey, were found using the Bloede's Dam fish ladder in 2012.[10] One catadromous species would likely also benefit, the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), a fish species that lives in freshwater and migrates to the ocean to breed. The Bloede's Dam removal project was led by American Rivers and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.[10]
Now that Bloede's Dam has been removed, removal of Daniels Dam upstream on the mainstem Patapsco River would open to anadromous fishes the remaining Script error: No such module "convert". of Patapsco River mainstem, the entire Script error: No such module "convert". length of the South Branch Patapsco River, Script error: No such module "convert". of the North Branch Patapsco River up to the Liberty Dam, and many of these rivers' tributaries.[1]
Water quality
The eastern portion of the Patapsco River is in a highly urbanized area and is subject to extensive stormwater runoff and other forms of water pollution. The Maryland Department of the Environment has identified the Lower North Branch as containing high levels of heavy metals (chromium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, and zinc), as well as phosphorus, fecal coliform bacteria, and PCBs.[18] The Piney Run Reservoir on the South Branch of the Patapsco is polluted by excess levels of phosphorus and sediment.[19]
Environmental nonprofit organizations, such as The Friends of Patapsco Valley & Heritage Greenway, Inc. (PHG), lead clean-up efforts by the residents of surrounding communities. From 2006 to 2012, PHG volunteers participated in 183 stream clean-ups, removing 264 tons of trash from the streams of the Patapsco Valley watershed.[20]
Recreation
Recreational swimming is possible in areas of the Patapsco River, sometimes involving rope swings, inner tubing, and wading. The river also serves as a venue for rafting. The Patapsco is also great for fishing. The MD DNR stocks parts of Patapsco State Park in the early spring and offers some pretty decent trout fishing. The Northern Snakehead has also made the Patapsco their home. They can be found from historic Ellicott City to the harbor.
Crossings
This is a list of all crossings of the main stem of the Patapsco River, as well as its two downstream short branches, the Middle Branch and Northwest Branch. Listings start downstream and continue upstream to the sources of the rivers.
| Image | Crossing | Carries | Location | Opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel County – Baltimore County | |||||
| File:The Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore).jpg | Francis Scott Key Bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore | 1977–2024 | Collapsed after being struck by a container ship on 26 March 2024 |
| File:2016-08-12 15 49 22 View north along Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) in Baltimore City, Maryland.jpg | Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore | 1957 | $4.00 toll |
| File:Fort McHenry Tunnel Bore 2.jpg | Fort McHenry Tunnel | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore | 1985 | Crosses Northwest Branch only; $4.00 toll |
| File:I-395-Downtown Baltimore.JPG | Hanover Bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore | Crosses Middle Branch only | |
| Spring Garden Swing Bridge | Western Maryland Railway | Baltimore | 1904[21] | Crosses Middle Branch only | |
| Ridgleys Cove interchange | Script error: No such module "Jct".
Script error: No such module "Jct". |
Baltimore | Crosses Middle Branch only | ||
| Light rail bridge | Baltimore Light RailLink | Baltimore | Crosses Middle Branch only | ||
| Hanover and Potee Street Bridges | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore | 1973 | Hanover Street Bridge reconstructed in 2005[22] | |
| Curtis Bay Branch Railroad bridge | B&O Curtis Bay Branch | Baltimore | |||
| Patapsco Avenue bridge | Patapsco Avenue | Brooklyn, Baltimore | 1961 | ||
| I-895 bridge near South West Area Park | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore Highlands | 1958 | Refurbished in 2019[23] | |
| Central Light Rail bridge | Baltimore Light Rail | Baltimore Highlands | 1908 | Previously used for the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad | |
| Old Annapolis Road bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore Highlands | |||
| BW Parkway bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Baltimore Highlands | 1948 | Refurbished in 1985[24] | |
| Hammonds Ferry Road bridge | Hammonds Ferry Road | Linthicum Lansdowne |
1961 | ||
| Baltimore Beltway bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Linthicum Lansdowne |
1958 | Refurbished in 1982[25] | |
| Northeast Corridor bridge | Amtrak Northeast Corridor | Linthicum Halethorpe |
|||
| I-195 bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Elkridge Halethorpe |
1988 | ||
| Howard County – Baltimore County | |||||
| I-895 bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Elkridge Relay |
1973 | On/off ramp bridges flank US 1 bridge to north and south | |
| Patapsco River Bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Elkridge Relay |
1915 | Concrete arch bridge refurbished in 1952[26] | |
| File:Thomas-viaduct-2011.jpg | Thomas Viaduct | B&O Capital Subdivision | Elkridge Relay |
1835 | World's largest multiple arched bridge. Named after Philip E. Thomas.[27] |
| I-95 bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Elkridge Relay |
1968 | ||
| Gun Road bridge | Gun Road | Relay | Patapsco Valley State Park access only | ||
| File:Patapsco Swinging Bridge 2020a.jpg | Patapsco Swinging Bridge | Swinging Bridge Trail | Ilchester | 2006 | Pedestrian bridge connecting River Road to Grist Mill Trail |
| File:Patterson Viaduct Footbridge 2020a.jpg | Patterson Viaduct | Grist Mill Trail | Ilchester | 2006 | Former rail bridge opened 1829, destroyed 1868, and rebuilt 1869; new footbridge built on abutments of prior rail bridge |
| File:Ilchester Tunnel.JPG | Ilchester Bridge | Old Main Line Subdivision | Ilchester | 1903 | |
| File:Ilchester Road Bridge 2020.jpg | Ilchester Road bridge | Ilchester Road | Ilchester | Known as Heartbeat Bridge in local folklore.[28] | |
| File:Railroad bridge at entrance to ellicott city.jpg | Main Street Bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Ellicott City Oella |
1914 | |
| Baltimore National Pike Bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Ellicott City Catonsville |
1936 | Reconstructed using original arches in 2014[29] | |
| I-70 bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Ellicott City Catonsville |
1966 | ||
| Hollifield Bridge | Old Frederick Road | Daniels | 1934 | ||
| File:Daniels Area 78.JPG | Daniels bridge | Old Main Line Subdivision | Daniels | ||
| Eureka bridge | Old Main Line Subdivision | Mt. Airy | |||
| MD 125 bridge | Script error: No such module "Jct". | Woodstock | 1981 | ||
| Patapsco River North Branch-South Branch confluence | |||||
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See also
- Patapsco Vallis, a valley on Mars named after the river in Maryland
- Bloede's Dam
- List of Maryland rivers
- List of parks in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area
- Liberty Reservoir
References
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- ↑ Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management. Towson, MD. "Patapsco River Watershed." 13 July 2009.
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- Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Profile: Patapsco/Back River Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- Patapsco Valley State Park
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Script error: No such module "If empty".
External links
- Maryland DNR's Surf Your Watershed Template:Webarchive: Patapsco/Back River
- American Rivers, a nonprofit conservation organization
- Maryland Port Administration Template:Webarchive
- Blue Water Baltimore, formed in 2010 from a merger of the Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Herring Run, and Baltimore Harbor Watershed associations, and the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper
- Patapsco Heritage Greenway
- Patapsco River Rock Building
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