Lake Information for Loch Raven Reservoir

The Loch Raven Reservoir is a man-made reservoir that provides drinking water for most of Baltimore County, Maryland. Originally built in 1881 as a dam and water tunnel to channel water to Lake Montebello and Lake Clifton, the new dam was constructed in 1914 in efforts to increase the municipal water supply. After the dam was built, the reservoir submerged the agricultural village of Warren. In 1923, the dam was elevated from 52 to 240 feet (73 m), and was viewed by many as a step towards the re-vitalization of Baltimore after the Great Fire of 1904. It is fed by the Big Gunpowder Falls river, and has a capacity of 23 billion gallons of water.