The Destructive Power of the Patapsco

The Destructive Power of the Patapsco (HM5M8)

Location: Catonsville, MD 20121 Baltimore County
Buy Maryland State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 14.113', W 76° 44.523'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 652 views
Inscription
"[Rainfall] nearly all night with a violent gale of wind. This morning the river begins to rise. The rain pours down furiously all day. The river in a freshet, rising all the time... At night the waters very high, threatening mischief to our works." - John Pendleton Kennedy, 1859.

Washed here by Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, these truck tanker remains are a testament to the Patapsco River's flooding power. That spring, the water rose 30 ft., scattering trees and cars, gutting houses and buildings and leaving the floodplains mostly barren.

Small seasonal floods are part of the river's natural cycle. Larger floods, such as in 1972, occur less often, about once every 100 years. A floodplain constantly undergoes disturbance and regrowth. A succession of plants, shrubs and trees revegetat the landscape. Notice how trees near the river are younger and some bend downstream.

While flooding is part of the river's ecology, humans have accelerated the natural process by clearing trees and paving watershed land. Forest cover soaks up rainwater and releases it into streams slowly. Impervious surfaces such as asphalt increase rainwater runoff, which leads to more erosion.

People have learned to place houses and businesses on higher ground. In the 1800s, the Patapsco Valley was strewn with industries and homes. People lived and worked along the river, while areas beyond the valley were forested or farmed. Today the river is partially protected by Patapsco Valley State Park as a forest buffer, while the surrounding land is developed. Efforts continue to complete a continuous buffer and add additional environmentally sensitive areas to the Park.

Text with main photo: The river valley after the flood in 1868.

Text with middle four photos: Four photos of the damage in 1972.

Text with middle left photo: Ellicott Mills in 1868.

Text with lower left photo: Two photos of Avalon Dam in 1972.

Text with lower middle-left photo: Damage to Ilchester area in 1868.

Text with lower middle-right photo: Photo taken of forested river valley in 1972.

Details
HM NumberHM5M8
Tags
Placed ByMaryland Department of Natural Resources, Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 12th, 2014 at 4:25am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 349648 N 4344325
Decimal Degrees39.23521667, -76.74205000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 14.113', W 76° 44.523'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 14' 6.78" N, 76° 44' 31.38" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703, 571
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 6314-6344 Grist Mill Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park, Catonsville MD 20121, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?