Prettyboy Reservoir is a reservoir in northern

Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...

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 ...

, also known as the Hereford Zone. Even though the reservoir is in the county, the

City of Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

owns the reservoir and the surrounding land of forested watershed. The reservoir is one of three reservoirs created to supply the Metropolitan Baltimore municipal water system for

Baltimore City Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, Baltimore County and northern Anne Arundel County constructed by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Prettyboy Reservoir, along with Loch Raven Reservoir that is downstream of the

Gunpowder Falls The Gunpowder River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tidal inlet on the western side of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, United States. It is formed by the jo ...

, provide about 61% of the drinking water for the Baltimore Metropolitan system. For this reason, the Prettyboy is considered a "source water" or drinking water watershed. The reservoir on average contains about of water. A website for the reservoir is maintained by The City of Baltimore and can be found a
PrettyBoyReservoir.org
The water from Prettyboy Reservoir is transferred to Loch Raven Reservoir via

rather than directly to Baltimore. It is then transferred via tunnel from Loch Raven to the Montebello Filtration Plants in Baltimore for treatment and distribution. Prettyboy Dam, completed in 1932, impounds the Gunpowder Falls to create the Reservoir. The dam has a spillway crest elevation of of MSL and covers about . Prettyboy Reservoir Dam

Prettyboy Reservoir sits behind Prettyboy Dam on the

Gunpowder River The Gunpowder River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tidal inlet on the western side of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, United States. It is formed by the jo ...

, which flows into the northwestern

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

. Parts of the Gunpowder River, along with those of its smaller, neighboring Chesapeake Bay tributary, the Little Gunpowder River, also serve as a

State Park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

. The reservoir area serves as land for hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, fishing, and boating. Hunting is also permitted, though hunting is limited to archery with a special permit. Swimming is prohibited. Sport bike riders and sports car enthusiasts also use the roads in the parklands that surround the reservoir.

Kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

and tubing enthusiasts float or paddle the Lower Gunpowder Falls from the dam down to Falls Road or Masemore Road. The river between those two points contains mainly Flatwater to class II rapids but one section contains a class III when the water level is normal or higher. Heavy spring rains mean that both gates at the dam may be opened to allow excess water through. Increased water levels make for excellent kayaking because of the narrow width of Gunpowder Falls' valley. Pretty Boy Dam Water

Special Department of Public Works and occasionally Baltimore City Police Officers are now patrolling all three of the metropolitan areas' watersheds. On June 23, 2008, Prettyboy Reservoir became the site of the first rescue performed by the

Baltimore County Fire Department The Baltimore County Fire Department (B.Co.F.D.) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the 800,000 residents of Baltimore County, Maryland. The department consists of both county operated and full-time staffed stations and in ...

using a helicopter with rescuers dangling from a rope. The victim was a 30-year-old woman who had injured herself while walking her dog. The department had just been trained in the rescue two weeks prior to the incident. According to tradition, the lake was named after a settler's horse, Pretty Boy, who drowned in a nearby creek.

References

External links

Prettyboy Watershed AllianceMetro Reservoir Anglers, Inc.
{{authority control Protected areas of Baltimore County, Maryland Chesapeake Bay watershed Reservoirs in Maryland Bodies of water of Baltimore County, Maryland