Tag Archives: Lake Montebello

Saving History, One Piece at a Time

16 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, HISTORY, water history

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Anyone that has been following my blog will remember my writing about a few construction projects that are water related. Such as the new buildings at Loch Raven, the contractor busting a hole in the ten foot conduit that supplies water to Baltimore, another contractor digging up the foundation to an old pumping station, the attempts to save the Clifton Gate House, the Roland Tower, the residence at Montebello, etc.

When I first wrote about the work along Loch Raven, I wrote about the house and buildings they were tearing down. After being notified of this project, I went to investigate and saw a bunch of metal signs. Not necessarily ultra historic, but a part of Baltimore’s Water Supply History nonetheless. I was able to retrieve from the contractor, 2 of the 8 that were there. The other six were taken by a company the reuses old building materials.

Here is one of the eight signs. This all happened a few months ago. The other day I received an email. One of those courtesy type ones from the big bosses downtown, trying to keep me in the history loop. Well, I was dumbfounded when I read the email. It just said FYI and had the attached photo along with two other attachments.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! This photo is of the marble plaque that was in the original 1881 gate house to the first Loch Raven Dam!!! i always wondered what happened to this thing.

The third attachment is a quote, only partially shown to protect the parties involved. Two marble plaques? The quote went on to say that the other one was dated 1887!! Holy crap! Only one water works related to Loch Raven was built at that time and that was the Clifton Gate House!! My eyes were playing tricks on me!! This couldn’t be!

But wait! How did this company get these things and were they really trying to sell them back to the City? City property??!! I don’t think I ever cussed in an email to one of the bosses downtown but I just couldn’t contain myself “What the hell! This is City property. How can they charge us for something that is ours?!” I suggested he gets the Environmental Police involved to check this out. If not, tell them I will give them $500 and we won’t press charges. He said he turned it over to the EP. And he did. Today I received a copy of the investigative report stating that these items were picked up by accident and would be returned to the City. And they were this afternoon!!

More on this later so stay tuned! (I want to go into a lengthy bit of comment on what we should learn from this…)

Clifton Gate House – Update

19 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, Gate House, water history

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Back in July 2016 I wrote about the renewed interest in doing something with the Lake Clifton Gate House. A farmers market, a cafe, a historical showcase for the water department, etc. The other day I received an email to attend a meeting on another proposal, submitted by Civic Works and their vision for the Valve House (Note: Valve House and Gate House are interchangeable when talking about this structure – Pump House is not – it never had pumps in it). Attached to the proposal was this photograph:

I thought to myself, how the heck did I miss this driving back and forth to City Lights?? Well, this didn’t happen. It is a piece of art. “This is an animation of a specific artist’s winning proposal to mount this public art installation. BOPA is hoping that the installation will be able to move forward under the watchful eye of Civic Works.”

Here is an excerpt from John, at Civic Works, on their proposal for the Gate House:

When the Valve House is renovated and attractively landscaped, it will attract people who pause for pastry, coffee, ultra-local freshly harvested foods and flowers, art and stories of Baltimore. Stories from our past, presented here, will be outshined by news of the structured opportunities, offered “next door” for careers in the expanding green business sectors.

As the renovations to the Valve House are fully realized, the adjacent Lake Clifton campus will become the operational base for Baltimore Center for Green Careers, Civic Works Food and Farm programs and other pathways to prosperity. In the coming decades, these two work in harmony – the information packed social hub and the sustainable-jobs work preparation center.

I personally think this is a great idea! And I really hope it happens.

Here is a 1927 aerial of Lake Clifton and its relation to Lake Montebello. Clifton being the one at the bottom. Water flowed from the dam at the Gunpowder Falls, via a 7 mile tunnel to Montebello, then by conduit to Clifton, at which point it was dispersed to the city.

From the 1970s showing the interior of the Gate House with the water chambers covered over with wood.

The reverse of the above photo, from the Sunpaper files showing that back in 1970 there was an interest in restoring the Gate House.

Another 1970s Sunpaper photo showing the stained glass windows nearly intact. Most have since been broken out. (Note:Photos from my personal collection)

Roundhouse

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, engineering, water history

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A couple weeks ago the contractor called me over to the site because they struck something that is not on the drawings. This was about the 12th time in 10 days they hit something buried, not on the drawings. i go over and this is what I saw:

At first glance, it looks like an electrical ductbank, enclosed in concrete. I told the contractor I would go look in my drawings to see what I could come up with. When I retuned, unable to find anything, the contractor had cleared some more dirt from the concrete.

Am I hallucinating or does that thing have a curve to it?? Holy crap, that looks like the foundation to the old roundhouse, which was the Montebello Pumping Station, built in 1914-1915. More research to do.

This hole was dug and goes about 75 feet down at which point they busted through the 1881 tunnel from Loch Raven. The pumping station was to be used to pump water from Loch Raven, into the filtration plant. This was due to the city not getting permission to raise the new dam above an elevation of 188′ (The new dam is now at 240′)

This photo shows the foundation for the pumps and the piping waiting to be placed.

Looking at the top tier here it can be seen the structure matches the first photo above. The hole in the center is the suction well.

View from the outside of the roundhouse. This is facing south towards the filtration building.

This is looking north from the the head house. The roundhouse foundation is flush with the ground level.

Nearing completion.

The pumps.

From the time this was built until about 1957, this pumping station had more than its fair share of problems – wrong size pumps, electrical problems, building being struck by lightening a few times, power surge from Holtwood Electric, water hammers that raised and cracked the foundation, etc. In 1963 the building was demolished but, the foundation remains. And now the problem is, what’s down there? Will this area support the weight of a generator and fuel tanks? And is that hole still open (there is an air vent coming out of dead center)? The tunnel underneath originally supplied water to Montebello from Loch Raven. Now this tunnel supplies drinking water to Towson, via the Cromwell Pumping Station.

This shows where the roundhouse use to be, north of Filter building.

Montebellephant

24 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in art, Baltimore

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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.

1881 Tunnel Inspection, Again?

27 Friday Jan 2017

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Last year in another post I wrote about my excitement to go on an inspection of the old Loch Raven – Montebello Tunnel, which was built between 1875 and 1881. This tunnel, being 7 miles long was built mostly through solid rock. A lot of which is collapsing. Which is bad because potable water has been flowing thru it since the late 1950s, from Montebello to Towson. When it was built, the raw water from Loch Raven flowed to Montebello Lake. The inspection for last year was cancelled, saying it was unsafe? (Last inspected in 1984). Last night I get an email telling me that the consultants want to see where the exit point will be if the inspection does happen…

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This is where we would exit. At the waste lake, Montebello Filters. If you look back at my post from a few months ago on the waste lake dredging, you can see that it no longer looks like this. It is grown over with phragmites. This photo from 1948 shows them dewatering the tunnel so a new surge shaft could be built.

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The new surge shaft is connected to the 1938 Loch Raven Tunnel (steel, not rock) which is connected to the old rock tunnel, soon to be connected to the just being built Patapsco Tunnel. (Confused yet? You should work here!)

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As with most construction projects with the city, there are always problems. This one being a storm washing away some of the work already completed.

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The almost finished surge shaft. Wrap it in brick and put a Spanish tile roof on and you are done. I hope we can actually do an inspection of the tunnel.

The Gunpowder Falls and Battle Monument

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, water history

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When the permanent water supply from the Gunpowder Falls was built, it included a dam at Loch Raven, a 12′ tunnel approximately 7 miles long, an impounding reservoir at Montebello, another conduit from there to Lake Clifton and then it was distributed to the public as unfiltered, yet wholesome drinking water.

Photo from the 1920s showing the original 1881 gate house at Loch Raven

How the gate house area looked in 2011.

When they eventually removed the gate house, they kept some of the original stone and built this somewhat mini-monument to the Permanent Supply, across the street.

The supply is finished and the valves are opened. This is downtown Baltimore at the Battle Monument. Caption reads: Fountain and Cataract – Monument Square – The Introduction of the Gunpowder Water Supply – Oct. 10th 1881

84″ Conduit Inspection

08 Thursday Dec 2016

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Back in 1956 – 1957 a new 84″ pipeline was laid to connect the Montebello Filters with South East Baltimore, doing away with a pumping station. It was inspected this week using what is called a Pipe Diver. A mini-sub looking thing with a bunch of probes. No camera unfortunately.

Here is the pipe prior to connection to the filtered water reservoir in 1957. The reservoir (20 million gallons) is behind that house on the left, underground.

Connection to the clear-well chamber. Years later another connection would be made on the opposite side of the reservoir. The two conduits are connected about 100 yards from the above point.

Back in June, while making my rounds thru the property, I saw a contractor digging a hole. Asked what he was doing and he said he needed to rebuild this manhole and put a new valve on the pipe. That they were getting ready to inspect the 84″ pipe. I asked if he knew that this pipe was full of water. He said he knew and it would be alright. Here is another case in the City when agencies do not communicate. We had no idea they were doing a pipe inspection.

A month later, a contractor comes on site to look at a possible entry point for their pipe diver. I showed them and in November they came back.

They could not relieve the pressure in the pipe enough to insert their tool. So they had to postpone and rethink their strategy.

This week they came back. It took a lot longer to relieve the pressure than what they thought. This is the net that was inserted downstream, about 3 miles. It was there to catch the pipe diver.

Installing the net.

This is the equipment that was used to track their diver. It only took about 3-1/2 hours for the machine to flow by water pressure to the net.

Removing the pipe diver tool. hopefully the information obtained is all good info – that the pipe doesn’t need repairs or in worse case, replacing.

One disturbing photo sent to me is this one, showing where ground cover has washed away, exposing the water pipe. I’ve lived around this stream for many years and I know the force of nature, during storms. Just a matter of time…

Pre-Black Friday Sale

23 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, water history, Writing

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Ok, time to order now for Christmas! Nothing like a little self promoting during the Holiday Season. (Thanks to the person(s) that bought 3 copies this month! My sales report does not list the buyers so I have no way to know who to thank)

These books are cheaper on Amazon than they are on the publisher’s pages. ALL proceeds from the sale of these books goes to Water For People.

This first book is a crazy story about Chuck and Gary and the misadventures that happen because of the fluoride in their toothpaste! I think this may have been an LSD induced novel. But more likely comes from all the research I did concerning the subject that I didn’t know what else to do with!bookcoverimage-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next one is about, well, it’s about what the title says it’s about. Taken from the journals of the building inspectors. Ten miners killed in an explosion – called an accident, but I don’t think so…

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And this last one is also about what the title implies. Over 400 pages of more information you will probably ever need concerning water history. Plus a bunch of tidbits thrown in.bookcoverimage

 

 

 

 

Herring Run Walking (or running) Tour

21 Monday Nov 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, HISTORY

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I was not the only one asked for information concerning Herring Run. All this info is for a walking tour on Black Friday. This instead of Mall Madness. Another submission of info:
The design for the Pedestrian Bridge at Sinclair Lane began in 2010 with final greenway plans dated on January 31, 2014. The bridge was designed by Wheeler in Bloomington, Minnesota and fabricated by Big R Bridge in Gresley, Colorado. A new pedestrian bridge was built in close proximity to Sinclair Road since the new ten foot wide greenway trail could not be accommodated using the existing Sinclair Road bridge. Also, the new pedestrian bridge location was selected to span the narrowest portion of the Herring Run Stream and the bridge length was determined to not encroach the Herring Run Stream’s 100 year flood elevation and cross over the existing DPW utility sanitary and 84” water pipes.
This info got me thinking about various reports I had read recently. Not concerning a 100 year flood, but about what would happen if the dam gave way at Montebello Lake??
August 2000 – Danger Reach Study for Lake Montebello MD Dam #107. Prepared for DPW, Bureau of Water and Wastewater. Has a lot of graphs, charts and data. ‘What if’ scenario of a dam failure at Lake Montebello, between Harford Rd and the Park. The consultants do not believe the water would go over the Harford Rd bridge, but under. They do believe it would overflow four feet above the Belair Rd bridge at Herring Run. It would overflow Manasota by two feet and Brehms lane by four feet. Sinclair Lane would be two feet under water. It would follow a path all the way to Moore’s Run. The dam is 600 feet long, 60 feet wide at top and 31 feet tall.
From the Emergency Action Plan 2016: Lake Montebello is an earthen dam built in 1880 as a water supply reservoir for the city of Baltimore. It contains approximately 410 million gallons of water, with a maximum storage of 606 million gallons. If the dam fails, this is what will be read by Emergency Management:
“Lake Montebello Dam, MD Dam No. 107, located northeast Baltimore City is failing. Repeat. Lake Montebello Dam, Dam No. 107, located northeast Baltimore City is failing. If you are in or near this area, proceed immediately to high ground away from Herring Run Park. Do not travel on the following roadways: Parkside Dr., Shannon Dr., Pulaski Hwy, North Point Rd, Bowleys Ln, Harford Rd, Mannasota Ave, Belair Rd and Sinclair Ln, in the vicinity of Herring Run Park. Avoid all residential roadways near the Park located in northeastern Baltimore City. Travel away from Herring Run Park. Avoid all residential roadways near the park. Do not return to your home to recover your possessions. You cannot outrun or drive away from the flood wave. Proceed immediately to high ground away from the area.”

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The dam in question is to the right of the lake. Shows the Harford Road bridge to the far right.

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This is how a rain induced flood looked many years ago, Harford rd. bridge to the right.

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Belair road bridge would be flooded 4′ above roadway.

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Brehms Lane bridge – would also be 4′ under. (Note: Bridge no longer looks like this and there are no longer any horse rides in the park)