Jennings Randolph Lake is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

of located on the

North Branch Potomac River The North Branch Potomac River flows from Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to its confluence with the South Branch Potomac River near Green Spring, West Virginia, where it turns into the Potomac River proper. Course From the Fairfax Stone, the ...

Garrett County Garrett County () is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,806, making it the third-least populous county in Maryland. Its county seat is Oakland. The county was named for John Work ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and Mineral County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. It is approximately eight miles upstream of

Bloomington, Maryland Bloomington is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) locates in southeastern Garrett County, Maryland located at the confluence of the North Branch Potomac River and Savage River. It lies to the west of Luke on Maryland Ro ...

, and approximately five miles north of

Elk Garden, West Virginia Elk Garden is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the ' Cumberland, MD- WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 211 at the 2020 census. Elk Garden High School was consolidated into Keyser High Scho ...

Construction and management

The lake was constructed by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

(USACE), as authorized by the

Flood Control Act In the United States, there are multiple laws known as the Flood Control Act (FCA). Typically, they are enacted to control irrigation because of floods or other natural disasters and are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Th ...

of October 23, 1962 (Public Law 87-874) and is described in House Document No. 469,

87th United States Congress The 87th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1961 ...

, second session. Originally named "Bloomington Dam", it was renamed Jennings Randolph Lake in 1987 to honor the US Senator from West Virginia who was instrumental in this and many other water resource projects across the nation. Construction of the lake was completed in 1981, and resulted in the flooding of the community of Shaw, West Virginia and the realignment of

West Virginia Route 46 West Virginia Route 46 is an east–west state highway split into two segments in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. The western terminus of the western segment is at West Virginia Route 42 in Elk Garden. The eastern terminus is at ...

. The dam, rolled earth and rock fill, is 296 feet high, has a crest length of 2,130 feet and contains 10 million cubic yards of material. Jennings Randolph Lake strives to provide water quality improvements and reduce flood damages downstream of the lake, provide a source of water supply for downstream municipalities and industries, and provide the public with recreation opportunities. With a full conservation pool, the lake controls a drainage area of 263 square miles, is about 5.5 miles long, and has a surface area of 952 acres. The lake serves as an emergency

for the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

metropolitan area and is managed by the Corps of Engineers. Coordination of the lake's use for water supply purposes is managed by the

Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin The 'Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin(ICPRB) is an agency composed of commissioners representing the federal government, the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The ICPRB mission ...

(ICPRB). The impoundment also collects

acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering ...

from coal mines located upstream, which improves the

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

of the river downstream.

Planned hydroelectric facility

In 2008 Fairlawn Hydroelectric Company filed a proposal with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency that regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in ...

(FERC) to construct a

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

facility at the dam. FERC approved a license for a 14 MW facility on April 30, 2012. In 2016, Fairlawn Hydroelectric reported that it had not yet obtained construction permits from USACE, and it obtained an extension of time from FERC to begin and complete the project.

Recreational facilities

*Howell Run Picnic Area *Howell Run Boat Launch *Robert W. Craig Campground *Shaw Beach *West Virginia Overlook *Maryland Overlook *Maryland Boat Launch

References

{{authority control Chesapeake Bay watershed Bodies of water of Garrett County, Maryland Reservoirs in Maryland Reservoirs in West Virginia Bodies of water of Mineral County, West Virginia Potomac River watershed Tourist attractions in Mineral County, West Virginia Tourist attractions in Garrett County, Maryland Dams in Maryland Dams in West Virginia Dams completed in 1981 United States Army Corps of Engineers dams