The Youghiogheny River Lake is a

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...

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 ...

in southwestern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and western

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 ...

. The lake is a significant tourist attraction, bringing over one million visitors a year to the area. The lake was formed in 1944 by the damming of the

Youghiogheny River The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough (pronounced Yok ) for short, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. s ...

upstream from

Confluence, Pennsylvania Confluence is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 724 at the 2020 census. Geography Confluence is at (39.809997, -79.356692). ...

. Youghiogheny Dam is an earthen structure, high and long at its crest, owned and operated by the

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

. The reservoir's normal surface area is about , and it has a maximum capacity of , although its normal storage level is . The dam facilitates flood control, improves river flow and provides 12 megawatts of

hydroelectric power 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 ...

. U.S. Route 40 crosses the lake between Jockey Hollow on the Fayette County side and Somerfield on the Somerset County side. Map of Somerfield, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, from 1860 Somerset County Map by Edward L Walker

Map of Somerfield, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, from 1860 Somerset County Map by Edward L Walker

Somerfield was laid out on the western edge of Addison Township, Somerset County, about 1816 by Philip D. Smyth, who originally named the settlement Smythfield. Somerfield was abandoned, razed, and inundated when the reservoir was filled in the 1940s. The stone

Great Crossings Bridge The Great Crossings Bridge is a masonry bridge which is on the National Road between Somerset County and Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It crosses the Youghiogheny River near Confluence, Pennsylvania. History and architectural features Built du ...

of the

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the Federal Government of the United States, federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Pot ...

, which crossed the Youghiogheny at Somerfield, is visible at extremely low water levels. The triple-arch sandstone bridge was constructed between 1815 and 1818 by James Kinkead, James Beck, and Evan Evans.

References

Protected areas of Garrett County, Maryland Reservoirs in Maryland Reservoirs in Pennsylvania United States Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District Protected areas of Fayette County, Pennsylvania Protected areas of Somerset County, Pennsylvania Bodies of water in Fayette County, Pennsylvania Bodies of water of Somerset County, Pennsylvania Bodies of water of Garrett County, Maryland {{GarrettCountyMD-geo-stub