• About
  • History Writings

Water and Me

Water and Me

Tag Archives: boats

Montebellephant

24 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Ronald Parks in art, Baltimore

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, Baltimore, boats, elephant, Lake Montebello, Montebello, Public Works, water, water history

I have been working at Montebello Filters for over 35 years and have never seen it allowed to use the Montebello Lake for anything other than what its purpose is – an overflow catchment for the smaller waste lake up on the property of the filters. I have seen it requested to be used for paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking (I’m not even allowed to kayak on it!), fishing, ice skating, model boat racing, etc. The answer has always been “NO”.

But next week – there will be an inflatable elephant floating on the lake! Yes, you heard me – an inflatable Lighted elephant! History will be made next weekend.

But seriously – I think it looks pretty cool and I can’t wait to see it!

See lightcity.org for a list of other events around Baltimore.

Waste Lake Chronicles

31 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, Hiking, water history

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Baltimore, boats, engineering, FILTRATION, Hiking, HISTORY, Lake Montebello, Montebello, Public Works, water history

Checking on the contractors the other day, I saw that they had pretty much cleared most of the shoreline…nice day for a hike around the lake.

wl1

Started on the SW side looking towards Morgan State University.

wl2

Headed up to the far end, closest to Hillen Road. The old surge shaft from Loch Raven is to the right. The dredge and barges could not get this far up.

wl3

Looking down from on top – the sludge. This is a by-product of what goes on in the filtration plant. Lots of sand at this point. The sand is used to filter the drinking water and when the filter becomes clogged, we backwash it. Unfortunately the pressure from backwashing pushes sand into the drain and ends up here.

wl4

More sand and sludge.

wl5

Since I was up here, I figured I would look down the hatch. The contractor had some concerns about getting too close to this structure. He said they could see a pipe that I told them to stay away from.

wl6

The pipe coming thru the wall at the top, is laid in the waste lake bed. It is about 10′ under the water surface. Although capped off, it would still cause problems if broken. I was supposed to climb out of this shaft a while ago…after an inspection of the old 1880 Loch Raven tunnel. (5-1/2 mile hike). Cancelled due to safety concerns.

wl7

Heading down the NE side. Watching the small barge and excavator get as close as he can.

wl10

The large excavator and barges. These barges are only about 5 feet tall. They displace only 2 feet of water. That just amazes me.

wl8

Soon, we will be testing pumps up on Deer Creek. This will be water from the Susquehanna River. It is very dirty water so we will just dump it instead of letting it go into the plant. See that tower in the background? That is the Susquehanna Surge shaft. When the DC pumps come on and the water flows 36 miles to this point, closing the valves to not let it in, well, the water has to go somewhere. It goes up that shaft and then out thru the drain you see to the left of the boat. 50-60mgd. The dredging should be done by then and their equipment removed. If not, they better tie that stuff down!

wl9

Continuing my hike down the shoreline.

wl11

Some spots were a little rough to navigate across.

wl12

Here is that cove I mentioned in an earlier post. Deer tracks everywhere.

wl13

The 4 million dollar problem – already rearing its head in the warm sun!

Waste Lake Progress

17 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, water history

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Baltimore, boats, engineering, FILTRATION, HISTORY, Lake Montebello, Montebello, POLITICS, Public Works, water, water history

The downtown consultants for the dredging of the waste lake at Montebello had underestimated the amount of material that could be possibly dredged from our waste lake – so they asked if it would be alright to remove the phragmites. A big OK to that.

Back in July I posted an aerial of the lake filled with sludge. This view shows most removed. The phrags were attached to the outfall structure and the contractor cut by hand. (At end of catwalk, lower center of lake). At lower right of lake more sludge accumulated due to a polymer added to belt presses, dumping back into this area.

Barge and excavator removing phragmites. The one shore is completed. Would be nice to have enough budgeted money to remove growth along shoreline.

Within one month the phragmites have grown a couple feet around outfall. Because the growth mat is attached to the structure, pulling away the growth will damage the wall. This outfall leads directly to Herring Run and we can not have this water going there.

What the waste lake by the outfall structure use to look like. Those houses are long gone.

Another view of the lake from years past. This is looking towards the NW corner where the surge pipe from Loch Raven is located. It was nice and clear of growth, inside and out. Those houses are also gone.

The waste lake shoreline was so clear that kids would come in and sail their model boats. This is looking towards the outfall structure.

Dundee Creek

30 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in kayaking, Photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

boats, bridges, Gunpowder Falls, kayaking, nature, Parks, photography

After our vacation to the Eastern Shore, we returned to one of our favorite kayaking spots – Dundee Creek. My first time there was to paddleboard. I did not like that at all. Just couldn’t find my center of balance and I kept falling off. The following week, Kathy showed me about kayaking. I had never done that before. I enjoy it immensely! So peaceful and relaxing. Dundee Creek merges with Saltpeter Creek and then into the Gunpowder River and then onto the Chesapeake Bay.

001

Before heading out to open water, we always like to head into the cove. Calm waters that dead-end at a stream and bulkhead.

012

As many times that we have been here, neither one of us noticed this little opening.

013

Nice and quiet. Looks like some logs up to the right.

016

I went up and moved them out of the way.

017

Kathy was then able to pass under the trees, along the shoreline.

021

Once through, I let Kathy go first – you know, in case there were alligators, wild boars or Adrienne Barbeau.

030

We found our own little cove. Not very big but nice.

054

After a while there, we headed out towards Marshy Point. This is the Marshy Point Osprey Cam. It is shut down now – the osprey have all headed south. This is fun to watch when they come back. So is the Osprey Cam on the Chesapeake Bay.

061

Favorite little foot bridge at Marshy Point Nature Center.

083

Under the bridge we go.

084

After the bridge and spending time watching life in the marsh, we headed back to the marina. Water was getting a little choppy. Duck blind.

Vac Pics #5

27 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Photography, Travel, vacation

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

boats, Museum, photography, vacation, water

Alright, alright! I know! Way too many vacation photographs! This is the last of them (We already had another adventure since these were taken!) These photos are from our trip to Smith Island, via Crisfield.

We did a short tour of Crisfield before getting on the tour boat.

Watched the watermen unload their boats.

These are the prices the watermen are paid for their hard work. We paid $170 not too long ago for steamed crabs. Watermen aren’t making much money are they?

All we are saying…

Messy little fellow.

Got on the boat and started to head out to sea. Well, towards the bay at least.

Little pink houses.

Now we are moving. It takes an hour to get to Smith Island.

Kathy and her parents. Great people.

This is a  rebuilt smoke stack, all that was left of the processing plant here. Rebuilt by park services in dedication to the person who left the land to them.

I love you a bushel and a peck!

Passing a nature reserve island before Smith Island, the birds were all lined up, ready to dance.

One of many waterman’s shacks.

Kathy jumped off the boat to grab us a table at a restaurant that I believe is owned by the boat captain – “Make sure you stop at the Bayside Inn!”

After some good food, we headed to the museum. Pretty nice.

Then took a walk around a partially submerged island! High tide.

I don’t think so.

Church with a halo

It has always amazed me that people abandon their boats wherever they want.

Crabby.

I thought this was another abandoned shack, but a few minutes after we sat down, the door closed.

Nice little pier.

Kathy told me to lay down in the wet grass and get this photo. Oh, ok!

And here is one of two water works photos. Building is called Hill Water Works.

And here is the second – showing an old water tower.

Watermen’s stuff.

Pelicans…

…who do not land gracefully in the water!

Returning to crisfield.

Vac Pics #4

26 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in fishing, Travel, vacation

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

boats, bridges, Chesapeake, Crabs, fishing, photography

Next day it was off to Deal Island for some fishing.

001-2

Leaving the boat ramp. Small landing but big phone tower and a big pile of oyster shells on the side.

004-2

Kathy taking the helm. I guess that is what it is called – at least it is on Star Trek – “Spock, take the helm. Scotty, you come with me.”

102-2

Deal Island bridge.

016-2

Kathy caught the first fish of the day…

017-2

…not as big as mine! Oh what a whopper! The weight almost snapped the rod!

033-2

Kathy’s catch. Crab.

027-2

Then mine…alien looking thing. Where is Ripley? Everything that was caught was thrown back in.

071-2

Abandoned except for the birds.

084-2

Karen Noonan Center, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Classroom.

090-2

Fish nets off of Bloodsworth Island. On the navigational chart this area is off limits. Kathy’s dad told me the naval base drops bombs (Practice) on the island. If you do a close up Google Earth view, it looks like the moon in some spots – craters.

110-2

Watermen heading back after a days work.

100-2

Skipjack, Ida May.

 

 

Mariners Point Park

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in kayaking

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

boats, Gunpowder Falls, Hiking, kayaking, photography

Nice Sunday morning kayaking trip. Thanks to EFF30 for the recommendation. What I like about this is that the Little Gunpowder Falls, the Big Gunpowder Falls and the Gunpowder River all converge here.

Entrance into the park

There’s a little black squirrel in the park today…

One of the many fishing piers

Nice boat ramp. I like that it is marked as enter and exit…not that everybody pays attention…

Many heron

Another one

Grounded Buoy.

Ducks

Kathy trying her darndest to make wakes!

And another.

After paddling around the coves we headed to the RR bridge.

I think Amtrak needs a bridge inspector in a kayak

Me.

Besides heron, there were many osprey to be seen.

Bridges Along the Jones Falls

17 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Baltimore, boats, bridges, engineering, glass plate negatives, Health, HISTORY, Jones Falls, POLITICS, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History, water history

Here are some photos from the DPW collection of various bridges along the Jones Falls. These negatives were all in an unmarked box. I posted them on Facebook a while ago and people told me the names as best they could guess. I am no longer on FB and unfortunately I did not write down the names they told me. Some are marked. Some are duplicates from other views – north to south or south to north.

If you can correctly name these bridges I will send you a copy of my book – Baltimore’s Water Supply History. Thanks.

img075

br045

img517

img515

img511

img510img509

img507

img506

img504

img501

img395c

img395b

img003b

img001e

img001d

img001a

81_6_1338

Discharge Into River

18 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, Sewage History

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Baltimore, boats, engineering, glass plate negatives, Health, HISTORY, photography, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History

The sewage of Baltimore City is pumped to the sewage plant at Back River in Baltimore County, where it is ‘cleaned’ and then discharged into the river. Interesting fact about the below photos from a 1955 report is this – “A number of leaks were repaired in the wood stave discharge pipes by a diver. The pier at the river, which had been damaged by hurricanes was rebuilt.”

As the photographs from the early 1900s show, the discharge pipes are above the water? So were they lowered into the water after assembly? That seems unlikely as there are hundreds of adjusting bolts holding the pipes into the air? Maybe I will find the answer one day in the many reports still to be read…

img013-3172 img014-3190 img016-3753 img162

M100 #3

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Baltimore, boats, engineering, FILTRATION, HISTORY, models, Montebello, war, water history

Met to discuss the plans for the anniversary – a lot of events are being lined up. Two have to do with boats and water. Rec and Parks wants to have “Boating on the Lake” where attendees can get in a kayak or canoe and go out onto the lake. The lake is pretty big. The road around it is 1.3 miles.

Another event is for the Model Yacht Club to hold some demonstrations. When the water plant opened, all the way to the beginning of WWII the water engineer and the politicians battled it out over allowing model boat sailing on one of our lakes. We have two. The engineer had no qualms about letting people know how much he did not want the boats on either lake. Finally, the boat people won. When WWII broke out and security tightened around the water plant – no more boaters (I think the engineer started that war, just to have a reason to stop them!) On a few occasions, the engineer purposely sent the lake to drain – oops! sorry, forgot you guys were coming this weekend!

boatlake3b boatlake1b

The below photograph is where the party will be. The small lake to the right is where the model yachts use to sail…

AERIALS 021

Newer posts →

Blogroll

  • Flouride Action Network
  • lulu
  • My Book
  • WordPress.com
  • WordPress.org

Recent Posts

  • Bermuda 2023
  • ICELAND April 2023
  • George Chalmers of Fochabers
  • In Search of The Skipjack Ada Mae
  • Trap Pond Kayak

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Water and Me
    • Join 231 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Water and Me
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...