#conowingo dam

[johnnyslittleanimalblog]

Bald Eagle by Phoo Chan

[dvmpicsphotography]

Conowingo Dam, northeast Maryland. On the lower Susquehanna river, it was built in the late 1920′s and is one of the largest non-Federal-Government hydroelectric dams around. In mid-late November and for a month or two after, a pretty good concentration of Bald Eagles can be found migrating through. There is also a robust local Black Vulture population, an occasional Golden Eagle (not often - they don’t play well with others) and sometimes a rather irritable Peregrine Falcon that lives on the damn and seems to disapprove of the bigger invaders coming through.

Taken today, may go back tomorrow, so expect some eagle pics in next week’s queue... 

[chesapeakebaystories]

Maryland governor: Pennsylvania, New York need to 'take responsibility' for surge of debris in bay

Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot decried a surge of debris and sediment flowing into bay from upstream states after recent heavy rainstorms.

[patgavin]

Conowingo Dam Tour 9/22/2018 (Part 2)

Route 1, Conowingo, Maryland

[patgavin]

Conowingo Dam Tour 9/22/2018 (Part 1)

Route 1, Conowingo, Maryland

[karenbelton]

Fisherman’s Wharf and Park at the Conowingo Dam is located along the Susquehanna River in Harford County, Maryland.  The park is maintained by Exelon Corporation, which owns the hydroelectric plant at the dam. The bald eagles are the main attraction at this park, and they can easily be spotted between November and February each year. Many say that it is the best place to see eagles east of the Mississippi. In addition, great blue heron as well as 170 other species of bird have been observed and recorded at the park. During the peak viewing season, dozens of photographers line up along the river with their tripods and powerful lenses. When they spot an eagle, everyone raises their lenses in unison to capture the action. The eagles often perch on the two large towers along the far shore until they are ready to feed. Bass, shad, catfish, and walleye are among the fish found in the river. Park amenities include picnic tables, ample parking, an accessible fishing wharf, boat ramps, a viewing platform, and a 2.2-mile hiking trail along the river. The hiking trail follows the path of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, which served as a link between central Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay between 1840 and 1892. In addition, a railroad was built along this route in the 1920s to transport construction materials to the Conowingo Dam site between 1926 and 1928. The railroad was later abandoned, but the tracks can still be seen in places. Visitors can also stop by the nearby Conowingo Dam Visitors Center to learn about the history of the hydroelectric plant, the role of hydroelectricity as a renewable clean energy source, and the ecology and wildlife of the lower Susquehanna watershed.  

[retrobaltimore]

Maryland Public Television documentary tells story of the Conowingo Dam

The swollen Susquehanna River pushes through the straining Conowingo Dam as the record water level nears a crest. (Weyman Swagger, Baltimore Sun files, 1972)

The tropical depression that dumped record levels of rain throughout the Mid-Atlantic in June 1972 severely tested Maryland's Conowingo Dam. The landmark engineering project is the subject of a new Maryland Public Television documentary, “Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna.”

Tropical Storm Agnes caused state officials to consider blowing up part of the dam to allow the swollen Susquehanna to escape the structure between Harford and Cecil counties. The documentary examines the trials the mighty dam has faced since its construction in 1928. The documentary is available on demand on the MPT website (video.mpt.tv). It will also air at 8 p.m. July 6 on MPT-2.

The rising water level behind the Conowingo Dam is shown as a mist rises over the dam's open gates in the distance. (Weyman Swagger, Baltimore Sun files, 1972)

The documentary contains archival footage of the massive structure's construction. Its builder, a Boston-based firm, commissioned the film about the massive construction project. Baltimore’s Arundel Corporation built the massive spillways.

The Conowingo Dam in 1949. (A. Aubrey Bodine, Baltimore Sun files, 1949)

MPT's Michael English discovered the silent movie about the dam’s construction, shot in 1927 and 1928. “We were about ready to complete the project,” he said. “Amazingly, the film turned up on eBay.” He said a California-based film director was selling part of a collection.

An aerial view of the Conowingo Dam. (Baltimore Sun files, 1964)

The silent film, now incorporated into the documentary, revealed how a small army of construction workers lived in compounds along the river as the dam was constructed. Several workers died during the project. English said that he could find no member of the construction team to interview.

-- Jacques Kelly   ([email protected])

[swordwhale]

shad ladders

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-conowingo-fish-elevator-20160428-story.html Git ’em up, move up out, raaaaaaw hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide! So we block the Mighty Susquehanna in our Quest for Power (I drive across the Conowingo Dam on the way to the Chesapeake Bay often… and the dam itself attracts eagles, fishing in the winter, in waters that stay open), but we also block the migration of…

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