Bloede's Dam was a

hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

on the

Patapsco River The Patapsco River ( ) mainstem is a river in central Maryland that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore. With its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howar ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. Built in 1906, it was the first submerged hydroelectric plant—that is, the

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

was housed under the

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

. It was also one of the earliest dams constructed of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

. Its site is now part of

Patapsco Valley State Park Patapsco Valley State Park is a Maryland state park extending along of the Patapsco River south and west of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The park encompasses multiple developed areas on over acres of land, making it Maryland's largest st ...

upstream from the Orange Grove area. The dam was breached in 2018, with removal complete by 2019.

History and design

The Patapsco Electric and Manufacturing company, of Ellicott City, brought fame to the Patapsco River corridor in 1906 when it constructed the world's first underwater

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

plant to supply its electricity. The dam is named for Victor Gustav Bloede (pronounced as ''Blerda''), a German immigrant who founded the nearby Avalon Water Works. Bloede hired

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

Otto Wonder to oversee the development of this unique hydroelectric project near Gray's Mill on the Patapsco River. Construction was performed by the Emmerson Ferro-Concrete company of Boston. The dam itself was long, wide at the base and had a drop of . It was an Ambursen Hydraulic Construction Company (Boston-type) reinforced

concrete slab A concrete slab is a common structural element of modern buildings, consisting of a flat, horizontal surface made of cast concrete. Steel- reinforced slabs, typically between 100 and 500 mm thick, are most often used to construct floors and ...

and

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

dam. The

technology and equipment were state of the art when it went into operation in 1907, with 34-inch Poole & Hunt Leffel Wheels and two 30-inch 500 hp horizontal Samson Turbines capable of an electromotive force of 11,000 volts. A 200-foot fish ladder was constructed along the site. The arrangement made the facility the world's first underwater hydroelectric plant. In its original plan, the plant was meant as an independent competitor to the local electric companies, and supplied power to the surrounding towns of Illchester, Ellicott City and Catonsville many of which were outside of the utilities' service area. It replaced an earlier 300 hp plant purchased for $12,000 in 1900 two miles away at Gray's mills that employed a

millrace A mill race, millrace or millrun, mill lade (Scotland) or mill leat (Southwest England) is the current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel (sluice) conducting water to or from a water wheel. Compared with the broad waters of a mil ...

with a bevel gear and rope drive. The $175,000 electric generation equipment was engaged on 28 November 1908 at 3:30pm by Victor Bloede's daughter, Miss Vida Bloede. Waffles were served to 500 dignitaries and guests from electric waffle makers. The new

Maryland Public Service Commission The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent administrative agency within the state government which regulates public utilities and certain taxi cab and other passenger services in Maryland. Similar to other state public utilitie ...

refused to grant Bloede a franchise to compete in electricity generation. Bloede claimed that Consolidated was attempting to force a sale because the company was charging less on street light contracts with Catonsville and Baltimore. In 1913, the plant was sold to Consolidated Gas Electric Light and Power, a predecessor company of

Constellation Energy Constellation Energy Corporation is an American energy company headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The company provides electric power, natural gas, and energy management services. It has approximately two million customers across the conti ...

for $200,000 in stock. Consolidated constructed a new head gate and sluice after the purchase. The dam continued to generate electrical power within its interior until 1924 when it was closed due to the

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indi ...

of larger, more powerful plants. The 38 acre property was sold to the State of Maryland on July 22, 1938, on the condition that the property would not be resold to competition to generate electricity or be developed. Although the dam was severely damaged by the

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...

1972, its ruins still stand, although the dam has been gutted leaving only a mud-filled shell. The gatehouse structures were removed since the storm left them unsafe. A semi-exposed sewer line remains onsite. In 1979, the state of Maryland budgeted $30,000 to investigate stabilizing the dam. In 1992, the

Department of Natural Resources This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies that are responsible for state-level regulating, monitoring, managing, and protecting environmental and public health concerns. The exact duties of ...

added a $1.58 million

fish ladder A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass, fish steps, or fish cannon, is a structure on or around artificial and natural barriers (such as dams, locks and waterfalls) to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration as well as mov ...

to allow migrating fish to swim upstream without being blocked by the dam. More controversy has risen about the

American eel The American eel (''Anguilla rostrata'') is a facultative catadromous eel found on the eastern coast of North America. Anguillidae, Freshwater eels are fish belonging to the Elopomorpha, elopomorph superorder, a group of Phylogenetics, phylogen ...

in that the dam blocks their passage as well.

Removal

The removal of Bloede's Dam started in September 2017 with work expected to be completed by the spring of 2019. An $8 million request for proposal was prepared by American Rivers nonprofit in 2016 to demolish the dam to expose and remove 1,700 feet of non-supported sewer pipe situated on silt built up behind the facility. Silt was expected to overload river two years before recovery. The removal of the dam was expected to remove a hazard where nine deaths occurred since the 1980s, to be replaced with a swift shallow rocky area for kayaking. Two upstream dams, Simkins and Union, were removed in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Removal of Bloede's Dam left Daniels Dam as the last remaining dam along the main branch of the Patapsco River.

Footnotes and references

Much of the information found here was provided by th
Baltimore County Public Library.

External links

Maryland Department of Natural Resources
* {{Crossings navbox , structure=Crossings , place=

, bridge=Bloede's Dam , bridge signs= , upstream= Grist Mill Trail Bridge , upstream signs= , downstream=

Swinging Bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that can be rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. It has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity ...

, downstream signs= Buildings and structures in Baltimore County, Maryland Dams in Maryland Historic American Engineering Record in Maryland Buildings and structures in Howard County, Maryland Former dams United States state-owned dams Dams with fish ladders

History and design

Removal

See also

Footnotes and references

External links