Michael
Hillman
Probably one of the more unusual bits
of trivia that I discovered during the research on the
history of the lands surrounding our farm was the story
of the Sixes Bridge Dam and Lake project.
The project, proposed by the Army
Corps of Engineers in 1969, was designed initially to
serve as a water reservoir for the Washington
Metropolitan area. At the time, predictions of
exponential growth in Washington's population and
economy, had federal, state, and local governments
apprehensive about the ability of the unregulated
Potomac River to meet future water supply needs. To
correct swings in the Potomac's flow, and therefore
assure a steady water supply, dams on estuaries that
drain into the Potomac (like the Monocacy) were
proposed. The dams would hold the river back during
rainy periods and release water during dry periods.
To substantiate their claims of the
urgency of the project, the Corps noted in their 1973
Environmental Impact Statement that the water supply
demands for the Washington area already exceeded the
lowest flow of record of the Potomac River.
Specifically, on July 15, 1971, over 400 million gallons
of water were used from the Potomac River, while during
the summer of 1966, the flow rate of the river had
dropped to a rate of 388 million gallons per day, a 12
million gallon shortfall. With predictions of an
impending water supply crisis and outright shortages and
rationing by the year 2000, the federal government began
detailed planning of a proposed reservoir system.
The dam for the reservoir, to be
built over 5 years at a cost of 38 million dollars, was
to be located on the Monocacy, one-half mile downstream
from Sixes Bridge, on property now owned by Lisa and
Errol Bell. The topography of the Monocacy River Valley
at this location was ideally suited for a dam. The
eastern bank of the river lies at the base of a long,
imposing, steep stone cliff, which would serve as the
eastern wing of the dam. The right bank of the proposed
dam is a long sloping hill that leads to a ridge line
which runs clear up to Four Points Bridge on Tom's
Creek. The 70-foot high dam was to be 2,250 feet long,
composed of roughly 700 feet of concrete and 1550 feet
of rolled earth.
The V-shaped lake created by the dam
would have extended twelve and a half miles up the
Monocacy River, just to the outskirts of Emmitsburg on
Tom's Creek. With a shoreline of over 53 miles, the lake
would have flooded 3,500 acres of farmland over a
maximum width of two miles. Farmland that would be
submerged by the proposed lake was to be purchased by
the government under the right of eminent domain. To
protect the quality of the water in the lake from farm
runoff, landholders adjacent to the lake would have
their property lines moved back a mandatory 300 feet
from the lake's shoreline.
In an effort to blunt criticism of
the dam's impact on the local community, economy, and
environment, the dam's proponents expanded its use from
a simple reservoir to a recreational reservoir and a
7000-acre park. Under the revised plans, swimming,
fishing, sailing, and motor boats would have been
allowed. To support this expanded use, proponents called
for the installation of access roads, and a vast array
of visitor facilities, including parking areas, picnic
tables, fireplaces, tent pads, and boat launching ramps.
While a majority of the new land
would be used to support public recreation, a
significant portion of the 7000-acre park was to be set
aside as a nature preserve. An extensive reforestation
program was to be undertaken which proponents predicted
would draw bountiful wildlife. The preserve would also
encompass many lakes that would serve as refuges and
nesting grounds for flocks of migratory birds that were
expected to utilize the lake and its surrounding park.
Proponents predicted that the
expansion of allowed activities in the park and lake
would serve as an additional attraction to visitors of
Gettysburg, as well as a lure to claustrophobic
Washingtonians, thereby creating a vibrant tourist and
recreational economy in the Emmitsburg area, freeing the
area from its dependency on farming.
However, all good things do have
their cost, and in this case, the cost was a little too
high for many in the community. All told, the
constructions of the dam and lake would have required
the purchase of 10,880 acres, and the relocation of
about 70 families. Many residents along Grimes, Sixes,
Sixes Bridge and Four Points roads would see much of
their present day land covered under water.
A survey conducted by the Maryland
Historical Society noted several historic county sites
would have been adversely affected by the dam. These
included: the total submersion of Castle Dairy Farm,
with its late 18th century stone house and barns; the
extraordinary large frame Victorian Barn on Six's farm;
the total submersion of the picture perfect Grime’s
Farm; and, the flooding of Frenchman's Purchase - a 1794
two and one half story sandstone bank house.
In addition to buildings, the lake
threatened at least three late 19th century steel
trestle bridges, which, according to the Environmental
Impact Statement for the project, "are rapidly
disappearing from the rural scene and are considered
important elements in the historical character of
Western Maryland." The bridges cited included Sixes
Bridge, Tom's Creek Bridge (a.k.a. Four Points bridge),
and Grime’s Bridge.
Because of the personal toll it would
take on the families within the projected lake area, the
dam’s proposal was met with wide and fervent
opposition. Public meetings were well attended and
always ended in a strong signal to the government that
the dam was not welcomed. An indicator of how strong the
feelings were against the dam can be seen in the
reaction of longtime residents when asked about the
project. Most had done their best to suppress the very
notion it was even proposed. Many however responded with
an angry "They're not bringing that up again are
they?"
PICK YOUR OWN ENDING
OPTION 1
I admit I was intrigued at the
thought of our farm suddenly becoming prime lakefront
property and the resulting high price such land would
bring. I've even evilly thought of what it would look
like with a McDonald's on it, yet I can't get over
thinking what would have been lost. The unbroken peace
and quite of a spring morning; the pitch black nights
which pay host to faint stars, creating a dazzling
celestial canopy; the long roadside chats with neighbors
too little seen. All the beauty man proposed to build
pales in comparison to that created by Mother Nature. If
you doubt it, watch the sun rise near Grimes Bridge,
soak in afternoon warmth at Four Points, watch a sun set
anywhere in the valley. Only a fool would throw this
serenity away.
OPTION 2
With the success of water
conservation programs, water restrictive devices in
household appliances, and the growing awareness of the
scarcity of water, most have long ago discarded into the
waste bin of history the very notion of a water shortage
that could affect us. Then again, today the Potomac is
flowing at only 75 percent of normal capacity and we are
in the longest drought in over 100 years. These are the
same precursors that existed in 1965, which led to the
original call for the dam. Furthermore, due to global
warming, severe weather pattern shifts, from drought to
monsoons, will be the norm, as they have been this year.
Consider also that we only have 648 days until the year
2000, the original projected date of the beginning of
water shortages. Are the omnipresent water restrictions
haunting harbingers of things to come? Might the
proponents of the dam have been right?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT - "The true
price of a thing is that which we must give up for
it" - Henry David Thoreau.