The Quarry

03 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, Photography, water history

Tags

engineering, Hiking, HISTORY, nature, photography, Research, water history

While doing research for my book a few years ago, I came across reports that mentioned a quarry on the filtration plant property. I had even seen glass plate negatives showing the quarry with its mills. But for the life of me, I could not find it or figure out where on this 300 acres it was located.

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This 1894 map shows the quarry in relation to Lake Montebello.

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This photo taken in 1913 shows the quarry and mill.

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Another view of the quarry.

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And another.

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In 2011 I was on a mission – to find the quarry. I started roaming around in the woods, in search of it. I was not able to roam too much though – the area was really overgrown. From atop a rock, I saw water.

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So I climbed down to take a look. It was just too overgrown to make an accurate assessment as to whether or not this was it. I tried to match the rocks to the 1913 photos.

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One of my bosses back then said that he remembered the quarry in the late 60s. That his father and others in the neighborhood use to dump stuff in there. He believed that the quarry was filled in back in the early 70s.

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Then in 2013 the Federal Government said all the sewers in Baltimore needed improvement. A contractor went to the area and moved the sewer pipe out of Herring Run stream and into this area. In the process, clearing the area I was unable to get to before. Doesn’t look much like a quarry.

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Another view.

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The other day I went back down to see how it looked. Soon it will look like it did in 2011. In just 3 years it is becoming overgrown.

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Another view.

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The one good thing about my job – I get to hike thru areas like this!

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My lucky day! A green Mushroom!

Waste Lake Chronicles

31 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, Hiking, water history

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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.

Started on the SW side looking towards Morgan State University.

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.

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.

More sand and sludge.

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.

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.

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

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

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!

Continuing my hike down the shoreline.

Some spots were a little rough to navigate across.

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

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

Oxford Pa. and Stafford Md.

28 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, Photography

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Tags

books, bridges, Conowingo, engineering, HISTORY, nature, photography, trains, Travel

The other day Kathy, Molly and I decided to take a ride to Oxford, to an old used bookstore just south of town. It has been a couple years since I was there. I met the author, Mark Bowden (Black Hawk Down) the last time I visited. The place has changed since then, but still nice. (Anywhere that sells old books is nice!) We left there and roamed around town some. Being a Sunday, most shops were closed.

The old train station now converted into Borough Hall?

Molly smells food and is wondering where the gravy train is (Sorry Molly, Purina does not make Gravy Train!)

Historic Marker

Niblock Alley train over-pass.

We left Oxford and decided to head to Stafford on the Susquehanna Trail. This was a nice 4-1/2 mile hike. Unfortunately – no Fall Foliage.

Uncertain of which way to go…back into the woods then.

Not sure the purpose of this fence, but I like it.

The path is over old train tracks. These tracks were put here when the Conowingo Dam was built. Carried supplies and men to and from town.

The Stafford Flint Furnace. This structure is a couple hundred years old. It took a beating during the great quake of 2011.

As can be seen in this photo. They put seismic measuring devices on it. That won’t save it.

Triple headed shrooms and our hike is done! Nice day!

Roland Water Tower

24 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, engineering, HISTORY, water history

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Tags

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

Received an email – you know the kind – a city resident has a complaint, goes to their City Council Person, goes to the Director of Public Works, goes to my boss – who sends it to me to investigate: The area around the Roland Water Tower is the site of 24/7 drug dealing activity. Shouldn’t this complaint have gone to the police? Being the good employee that I am, I went to investigate. For a 24/7 drug spot, the grounds looked clean and I saw only 2 people, walking their dogs. My mission was to see if there was any available electricity for new lighting? There are already 5 street lights surrounding the property. I could not get inside the tower itself to see if there was electric. I doubt it.

Time for a history lesson: The Tower was built, according to the bronze tablets, between 1904 and 1905. According to my records the contract was awarded to two contractors – one for the steel tower and one for the brick enclosure. Then later, another contractor for the concrete pool and steps.

The steel stand pipe being built by Tippett and Wood.

The brick enclosure by John Stack. The steps and pool by the Andrew Co.

The finished tower.

As it looked this morning. There is a fence around it, which I was able to go through.

Pieces of the tower are falling down. This is the purpose of the fence – to keep people out and to keep people away from the falling pieces.

The tower held about 213,000 gallons of water that it received from Druid Lake. The design was by William Fizone, who also designed the Montebello Filters. The pool has been filled in. In 1939 the Water Board turned the property over to the City Comptroller. In 2009 and again in 2011 consultants were hired to figure out what to do with this abandoned tower. It had a couple times been turned over to the Roland Park Community Association, who tried to raise funds to restore it. And it still sits – a magnet for the druggies and dog walkers.

Conowingo During Agnes 1972

21 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in 1972, Dams, engineering, Floods

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Tags

Baltimore, bridges, Conowingo, Dams, engineering, HISTORY

Came across this Sun Paper photograph showing, what it says on the back, that all 53 gates of the dam were opened during the storm. It doesn’t look like all 53 are opened. In a 2008 interview, a former Conowingo Employee, Elder Silvercloud tells us that many of the flood gates wouldn’t open. They were stuck. Another article I read said they were going to dynamite a portion of the dam to relieve pressure? In 2011 another storm caused them to open 43 gates. For more info, Google Search Conowingo Dam Agnes.

Notice there are no watermarks saying ebay or sun paper – that is because I do not steal these photos off the internet. They are in my personal collection.

Almost Done

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in engineering, filtration, water history

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Baltimore, Dams, engineering, FILTRATION, kayaking, Lake Montebello, Montebello, Public Works, water, water history

Construction Management sent me this photo and asked if I know what lake this is! If you ever need a pond or lake dredged, these guys do it right. And ahead of schedule.

That cove on the right hasn’t been cleared in about 40 years! I need to bring my kayak to work! For inspection purposes of course!

Waste Lake Progress

17 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, water history

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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.

Fullerton from the Susquehanna

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, engineering, water history

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bridges, engineering, Gunpowder Falls, HISTORY, Public Works, susquehanna, tunnel, water history

In my previous post I talked about the Fullerton Filtration Plant and the problems with it becoming a reality. Below are some photographs from the pre-planning stages of the Fullerton Plant. 1964 – when engineers were still able to look ahead and plan for the future.

Contractors moving the Fullerton connection into place.

Connecting the ‘Y’ branch to the Susquehanna pipe line. The Susquehanna pipe line was known as the “Big Inch” being 108 inches in diameter. This connection dropped it down to 96 inches. The metal mesh is for pouring concrete around the pipe line to hold it in place.

Capping off the end for future contractors to be able to connect the Fullerton Plant, if and when…

Just up the road is the Big Gunpowder Falls (Loch Raven and Prettyboy dams are on this river, way upstream). The Big Inch went under the Falls at this point. To the left is Interstate 95, back then known as the North-East Expressway.

Fullerton WTP or Show Me The Money

11 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, POLITICS, Reservoir, water history

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Tags

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

I was asked last week about a new filtration plant to be built at Fullerton, Baltimore County. Here is what I found:

1955 – Dr. John C. Geyer, Consultant for Baltimore City, and Mr. Jerome B. Wolff, Consultant for Baltimore County Metropolitan District, having concluded their study of the entire distribution system submitted their report on July 1, 1955. According to the Fullerton Reservoir Study Preliminary Design Report of 2000, the 1955 Geyer-Wolff Report recommended purchasing a tract of land in the Fullerton area – which the City of Baltimore did purchase – for the future construction of a water treatment facility, a water storage reservoir, and a water pumping station.
1962 – On November 23, the sinking of shafts for the Fullerton Tunnel began. Both shafts were completed but no Fullerton Tunnel had been driven to date. (Project, Section #6 Susquehanna conduit) Tunnel completed for Fullerton in 1963.
1993 – Design of the Fullerton Pumping Station. PS completed in 1999
1997 – Design for Fullerton Reservoir
1999 – The design of the reservoir would be based on receiving 120 MGD from the future filtration plant. The study showed that the system could not support a 160 MGD reservoir. The reservoir was to be designed to elevation 226. The design proposed two reservoirs to be built, each with baffles. The reservoirs would have separate influent and effluent chlorination provided. As of December, 1999, the study was 75% completed. (Same report info in 2003)
2006 – A two year study began on May 2006. Approval was given to construct a pilot plant to test the operation of the membrane technology.
2007 – Reason contract on-hold is due to financial constraints caused by the artificial 9% rate cap; studies on the construction of the Fullerton Filtration Plant; continuation of the hypochlorite conversion project; and, the federal requirement to cover finished water reservoirs.
2008 – The draft of the Project Development Report for Fullerton, dated May 2008, was submitted for review and returned with comments. There were 4 alternatives in the review. As of October no method has been selected from the alternatives selected. Due to the economy at the time, the cost for each of these alternatives was in excess of $400M. The study had been extended to March 28, 2009. The cost proposal, received on June 23, was not accepted. The cost allocations to all concerned is still being worked on.
2009 – The Fullerton Filtration Plant construction had been delayed until 2017. If this project is ever resurrected, a new consultant agreement will need to be executed.
2010 – The contract for designing the facility could not be advertised until the cost allocation had been agreed upon.
2011 – The contract for designing the facility (Treatment Plant) could not be advertised until the cost allocation had been agreed upon. Also this year, repairs to the Montebello filters were initiated – “The filters were needed to be kept in service for another decade until the Fullerton Facility had been built and the new Montebello Facility was released for construction.” (New Montebello Filters never happened – Band-Aid after Band-Aid)
2012 – Fullerton Water Filtration Study: The contract for designing the facility could not be advertised until the cost allocation had been agreed upon. The Fullerton construction had been delayed originally until 2017. The Fullerton Reservoir would need to be constructed first. The design contract was expected to be released for bid in 2013 under the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, with a design completion date set for 2016. Construction was expected to begin in 2017 and was to be completed by 2021.
2014 – The Office of Environmental Compliance and Laboratory Services began gathering information in preparation of the contracts’ future pending design release. In 5-years the DPW of Baltimore expected the Fullerton Filtration Plant to be built and online thus clearing the path to fully renovate one of the two Plants at Montebello and shutting down operation of the second Montebello Plant.

Readers Digest version: The 100 year old Montebello Filters keeps being patched up while the City and Counties fight over who is going to pay what, for a new filter treatment plant at Fullerton. Status of Fullerton – it will be built, sometime in the future.

Conowingo Dam

04 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, Dams, engineering, Photography

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Baltimore, bridges, Conowingo, Dams, engineering, fishing, photography, Public Works, water history

My visit into the Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant. Built in about two years time with close to 4,500 men. 1926-1928. Built by the Arundel Corporation. It generates over 13, 000 volts and then steps it up to 220,000. We were not allowed to take photos in the control room but one thing interesting about that was a board that gives real time prices for electricity. The other thing in the control room was – I was asked, very sternly, Do Not Go Back There Or Touch Anything!! Sheesh!

Got there early and looked around. Carved eagle in front. They have a photo contest every year for eagle photos. I didn’t bring a telephoto lens.

Fishermen. How the heck do they not get their lines tangled?? Three turbines on. Roughest water up to the right was a large unit. Two smaller units are on, to the left of guys fishing.

Time to go in and start the tour. Our tour guide is wearing the black hat. A continuous run movie on the building of the dam is playing. There is a nice one on Youtube called Conowingo: Then and Now.

The real tour guide. The photos on the wall are all winners and submissions for the eagle photo contest last year.

One of two fish lifts. This one was used to collect fish and then transport them by truck to hatcheries and fish farms to be released above all the dams (There are a few and about five years ago they all installed real fish lifts so the shad can just go up river to where they are supposed to)

I believe our tour guide said these two generated power to run the plant. It was loud in there.

Where they make electricity. Yellow light on the right wall means – put in your earplugs.

Aerator. It sucks air into the water. The dissolved oxygen drops about 60% from the dam pool to the discharge side, so they add some air to the water.

This little probe, just barely touching the turbine shaft measures for any distortion in the shaft. If it senses some, it will shut down the unit.

Some old gauges.

Spiders! They just cleaned these windows a couple months ago.

Next level above the turbines – generators.

Outside above the catwalk. Years ago, pre 9/11 you were allowed to fish off the catwalk. This is looking down towards Port Deposit.

The tour group. I didn’t know a single one of these people.

Need some lights changed on this sign.

Lonely lamp right before the second fish lift. Do fish need to see to be lifted?

In the very early 1960s I use to fish on that little rise at the bottom of the dam.

Second fish lift. They swim into that lift and are free to swim out at the top. Supposedly there is someone who looks thru a plexiglass window and counts them? Since the other dams have installed lifts, no reason to truck them anywhere.

Starting to get dark out.

Back inside, on the way to the control room. Pit.

Dark outside now, after control room. Guys are still fishing!

Water and Me

Tag Archives: engineering

The Quarry

Waste Lake Chronicles

Oxford Pa. and Stafford Md.

Roland Water Tower

Conowingo During Agnes 1972

Almost Done

Waste Lake Progress

Fullerton from the Susquehanna

Fullerton WTP or Show Me The Money

Conowingo Dam