Casselman, Potomac River fishing
Mr. Neuland mentions fly fishing for trout in Garrett County, specifically the Casselman & Potomac Rivers. Garrett County is famous for its trout fishing streams & rivers. From the Frederick News Post:
Town Creek: The water was pristine
Originally published March 28, 2010
By Dan Neuland
Today’s Sportsman
I HAVE LIVED in Maryland for more than 20 years and am ashamed to admit that I had never fished Town Creek until last year. For years, I have traveled I-68 through Allegany County on my way to fly fish the popular trout fisheries in Garrett County, driving right over Town Creek without stopping to sample the waters.
Last March, I took the opportunity to do a little early morning turkey scouting in Green Ridge State Forest, and combined the outing with some afternoon fly fishing in the delayed-harvest trout fishing area on Town Creek.
Before leaving home, I checked the Maryland Freshwater Sportfishing Guide online for information on tackle restrictions and printed the driving directions from the Department of Natural Resources website.
Like the other delayed harvest areas in western Maryland, such as the Casselman River and the North Branch of the Potomac River, Town Creek is managed as catch and release with artificial lures or flies only restrictions in the fall, late winter and throughout the spring.
Read the rest of the article here.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
The Lake Effect makes up for Battle of the Bands
TheTowerLight.com talks about a local Garrett County band, the Lake Effect:
The Lake Effect makes up for Battle of the Bands
By Lauren Slavin
Published: Sunday, March 28, 2010
Updated: Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Lake Effect by Alan Dovell / The Towerlight
The back-to-back blizzards the first week of February pushed the date for the Campus Activities Board’s annual Battle of the Bands up a few weeks, but unfortunately not far enough for all four members of Garrett County, Md. based The Lake Effect. Bassist Rob Glotfelty and drummer David Valenta were snowed in during the competition for a Tigerfest opening slot. But the band has moved on and looks forward to releasing their first album “Right, By Accident.”
The band opened for We the Living, who performed at a CAB-sponsored concert on March 26. “I think they kind of felt bad for us, they wanted to give us an opportunity to play,” guitarist and vocalist Darryl Glotfelty said.
But the concert worked to their benefit, allowing them to perform before a nationally-recognized group and sell tickets to their CD release at Recher Theatre on April 9. The Lake Effect’s members also sold T-shirts and allowed students to sign up for their mailing list, which entitled them to a free song.
Read the rest of the article here.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Wisp, Bear Creek All Set For Warm Weather Recreation
OntheSnow.com talks about the Wisp & the warmer weather activities available:
Mar 29, 2010 Mary Jo Tarallo, Associate Editor
Fly fishing is among many summer recreations at Wisp and Bear Creek.
At A Glance
Where: Wisp Resort;
Info: More Information
Wisp Resort in Western Maryland and Bear Creek in Pennsylvania are two mid-Atlantic resorts that have a strong line-up during the summer months.
The man-made white water facility at the top of Wisp is unique in the region. Beginners and experienced paddlers can enjoy white water rafting and kayaking on the re-circulating water course. The venue hosts the Open Canoe Slalom Nationals and North American Championships will take place Aug. 6 – 8.
The Adventure Sports Center International runs the water facility. The group also offers rock climbing, bouldering, mountain biking, hiking, and geo-caching on a 550 – acre forested reserve.
The Wisp Resort features a championship 18-hole golf course, fly fishing, paintball, disc golf, and boating on nearby Deep Creek Lake.
Read the rest of the article here.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Carmel Cove Inn mentioned in Washington Post as best travel deal
A blurb from the Washington Post mentioned Deep Creek Lake & Carmel Cove as the best travel bargain on land:
— Carmel Cove Inn, on Western Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake, is offering 25 percent off weekend rates (two-night minimum) and 35 percent off weekdays. With the Spring Getaway Special, deluxe double rooms are $146 on weekends and $114 on weekdays; rate is usually $175. Add 11 percent in taxes. Valid through April. The lodge-style inn has a fishing and swimming dock, canoes, tennis, billiards and bicycles. Guest rooms come with fireplaces and whirlpool baths. Info: 301-387-0067, http://www.carmelcoveinn.com.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Garrett County approves revised wind farm project plans
Garrett approves revised wind farm project plans
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — On Tuesday county officials approved a revised project plan for a proposed Garrett wind farm, putting developer Constellation Energy one step closer to building an electrical substation and 28 wind turbines atop Backbone Mountain near Eagle Rock.
The Maryland Department of the Environment halted work last week on the site of a planned electrical substation along Eagle Rock Road due to issues with water runoff and erosion controls. MDE spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus said an erosion and sediment control fence at the site had been improperly installed, and the project plan was inadequate to handle the volume of water flowing from the site.
The Garrett Soil Conservation District’s approval of Constellation’s revised plan is the first step toward resuming construction. Stoltzfus said she expected the silt fence would be fixed Tuesday and an MDE inspector will visit the site Wednesday to look over the changes and give the necessary approval to proceed.
Crews began clearcutting timber and building access roads on the substation site in mid-March. Clearcutting and other preliminary work has continued at the proposed wind turbine sites, strung along the mountain ridge northeast of the substation site.
Stoltzfus said MDE is investigating whether or not to bring penalties against Constellation.
The Garrett Soil Conservation District’s decision came on the same day that county residents and Constellation representatives spoke in support of the project at the Garrett County Commission meeting.
David Wagner, manager of the Commercial Analysis Group with Constellation Energy, said afterward that he plans to attend commission meetings regularly to keep a close connection with the community as the project moves forward.
Marvin White, a farm owner who said four turbines are planned for his property, told the commission he supports the project because it will create well-paid jobs and allow the county to produce clean energy.
“A lot of people are against these wind turbines, but do you want to build a nuclear powerhouse or a big coal powerhouse up there? Which would you rather see?” White said. “This county was built on cutting timber and coal mining.”
But other neighbors have voiced their opposition to the project, especially since construction work began in recent weeks.
Eric Robison, whose Eagle Rock Road home sits nearly adjacent to the substation site, filed a formal public information request with the county on Tuesday seeking documents including a copy of the site plan overview and the county’s review of the Constellation project under the Garrett County Sensitive Areas Ordinance.
Robison, who owns a construction company, said he’s concerned that the project plans have not been thoroughly reviewed by county, state and federal officials for their environmental impact on those areas.
Under state law, county officials have 30 days to respond to the information request.
Constellation Energy plans to build 28 wind turbines atop Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. The state Department of the Environment stopped work last week due to issues with water runoff and erosion controls.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
What a difference 2 weeks makes - Stockslager Area Deep Creek Lake
A few weeks ago, I took these pics of the Stockslager Rd area as the lake level was lowered (because of flooding risks) and there was still ice and snow everywhere. Well, today I went back and saw just how much the lake has risen in just a few short weeks:
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Deep Creek Stream-River - exploring Garrett County & Deep Creek Lake
I just listed a lakefront house on Stockslager Rd today, and on the way back, I wanted to snap a few shots of the bridge that crosses Deep Creek. Not the Deep Creek Lake bridge, but the small little stream/river/creek that is the namesake of Deep Creek Lake. I plan on exploring more this summer, but I wanted to share some of the cool photos that I got today. It’s tough to see the water as the trees are all grown up and it’s very wooded, but you can see that it’s there. This is the stream that pickups the runoff from the Deep Creek Dam and dumps that water into the Youghiogheny River. You’ll notice the smaller steel bridge that used to be there, as well. The trees have grown up through it. Stay tuned – I hope to hike the stream down to the Yough and report back here ina few weeks when the leaves are out in full bloom. Enjoy!
Lawmakers want suspension of state forest alcohol ban
Lawmakers want suspension of state forest alcohol ban
Michael A. Sawyers
Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland — CUMBERLAND — Numerous state senators and delegates, including the District 1 delegation, have written to the Maryland Forest Service asking Director Steve Koehn to suspend a policy that prohibits alcoholic beverage consumption within state forests.
Although the ban has been in place for about four months, its existence just recently came to public attention by way of articles in the Times-News. Koehn said the ban was enacted administratively and did not require a public meeting process.
In a March 25 letter, the elected officials wrote to Koehn, “It is problematic, to say the least, that we must become aware of such a broad and sweeping policy change through media reports rather than an open dialogue with your office.
“Although we agree that there is good intent behind the alcohol ban, we are concerned that your department did not feel it was necessary to hold public meetings … Further, such a policy may have a chilling effect on the sale of licenses and other related fees.”
The representatives go on to request a suspension of the ban until public meetings are held to discuss it.
Koehn said Monday morning via e-mail that he had not yet received the letter and, thus, could not react to it.
There are 138,288 acres of state forest in Maryland, 83 percent of which lie in Allegany and Garrett counties, according to numbers posted on the agency’s Web site.
Alcoholic beverage merchants such as Bill Schoenadel of Bill’s Place in Little Orleans and industry representatives such as John Stakem of Frostburg have objected to the new prohibition.
Stakem, who is president of the Allegany County Liquor Dealers Association, said he will travel to Annapolis on Wednesday in an attempt to be heard.
Sgt. Art Windemuth of the Maryland Natural Resources Police said Monday that during 2009 officers dealt with 12 incidents in Savage River State Forest and 59 in Green Ridge that are categorized as criminal and/or alcohol. An exact breakdown of how many definitely were related to the consumption of alcohol was not available.
Windemuth said alcohol-related incidents can range from underage drinking to assaults and other violent crimes.
The average number of officers who are available to patrol state forests along with their other duties is five in each of Allegany and Garrett counties, he said.
A little over a year ago, the Maryland Park Service prohibited strong drink in day-use areas, and in November expanded the ban to campgrounds. According to an online statement by the Department of Natural Resources, the ban is also in place for wildlife management areas.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Water runoff issues stall Garrett wind farm construction
Problems expected to be quickly resolved
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland — DEER PARK — Construction on Western Maryland’s first wind farm could resume within days, despite some residents’ protests, pending a green light from the Garrett Soil Conservation District and the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Twenty-eight wind turbines, measuring about 415 feet tall, are slated to go up along Garrett County’s Backbone Mountain, in an area south of Deer Park near Eagle Rock.
Work began March 16 on the project, owned by Baltimore-based Constellation Energy. Workers clearcut several acres of timber from the mountainside before MDE halted construction after one week, pointing to major issues related to water runoff, erosion and sediment.
MDE spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus said construction was halted because of “sediment-laden water” flowing from the site, which the project’s erosion and sediment controls could not adequately manage. She said the developer cannot proceed until an engineer revises the plans and they are approved by the Garrett Soil Conservation Office.
“The volume of the water on the site appears to be more than the controls they have in their current plan,” she said. “That’s why it’s really important to have an engineer work up a new plan, because sediment from stormwater runoff is a serious threat to water quality.”
Soltzfus said a second major problem related to an erosion and sediment control fence, called a “super silt fence,” that was not installed at the required depth of at least 8 inches below the ground’s surface.
Constellation is already working to correct the issues and move forward with construction. On Monday the developer’s revised plans reached the Garrett Soil Conservation District office. District Manager Shaun Sanders said his office hadn’t yet completed its formal review of the revised plans, but after preliminary review they looked “about 90 percent adequate.”
Sanders said some parts of the revised plan related to sediment control were returned to the developer for further changes, but he expects that Constellation will comply with the additional requests and that his office will complete its review of the plans within one or two days after the final version is submitted. Constellation has until April 5 to submit the final plan revisions.
Constellation spokesman Larry McDonnell said the developer has worked out a solution to the issues with input from all relevant agencies, including MDE, the Garrett Soil Conservation District and the Army Corps of Engineers.
“The issues appear to be resolved, if not today then hopefully by tomorrow,” McDonnell said.
McDonnell said he had few specifics on the plan revisions but said the silt fence will now be anchored by up to 12 inches of stone.
Soltzfus said MDE “may or may not” enforce penalties on Constellation for operating out of compliance with state regulations.
MDE halted the construction after receiving complaints from neighboring residents that Constellation’s erosion and sediment controls did not comply with state environmental law.
Eric Robison, who lives adjacent to the project and is the owner of a construction company, said he examined the site and the project permits and believed that the controls “weren’t even remotely correct.”
Robison and other nearby property owners also object to what they say was a complete lack of review of the project’s impact on environmentally sensitive areas.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Jennings Randolph set for opening of corps boat launch
Jay’s note: One of Garrett County’s gems, Jennings Randolph, is on the southern part of the county near Kitzmiller. The water is incredibly clear and the setting is just amazing. If you get a chance to see it from the Maryland side of the line, go down Mt Zion road. Awe inspriring views of the mountains. Definitely check it out! Here’s some more info.
March 27, 2010
Jennings Randolph set for opening of corps boat launch
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
— ELK GARDEN — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces the kick off of the 2010 recreation season at Jennings Randolph Lake on Thursday at 8 a.m., when the corps boat launch on the West Virginia shore is opened to the public. The launch is located alongside Howell Run, just off state Route 46, three miles north of Elk Garden.
The corps charges visitors a $3 fee for launching a boat from its boat launch. An annual pass that will allow an unlimited number of launches at all corps parks is on sale for $30 at the corps park office. The park office is located on the West Virginia side of the lake; follow the signs from Route 46 east. Holders of the Golden Age Passports (for senior citizens 62 and over), America the Beautiful Senior Passes, America the Beautiful Access Passes and Golden Access Passports (for the physically challenged) are allowed to purchase a corps annual boat launch pass for half price or to pay $1.50 per launch at the corps’ boat launch only.
The boat launch on the Maryland shore of Jennings Randolph, managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, will also open Thursday. The launch is on Mt. Zion Road off Maryland State Route 135 near the salt shed on Backbone Mountain.
The Maryland DNR service charge will be $5 for launching a boat. The 2010 Maryland State Forest and Park Service All Season Pass can be purchased for $75 for Maryland residents or $100 for out-of-state residents. The pass can be purchased at all Maryland state parks. The pass offers free day-use entry for everyone in a vehicle (up to nine people) to Maryland’s state parks and Cedarville State Forest; free boat launching at most facilities and a 10 percent discount on state-operated concessions and boat rentals. For parks with honor box systems, the pass covers entry service charges.
Both the corps annual pass and the Maryland All Season pass are valid at either boat launch on Jennings Randolph Lake.
For more information, call the corps park office at (304) 355-2346 or (301) 359-3861, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. For information on the Maryland DNR boat launch, call the Herrington Manor and Swallow Falls State Park at (301) 334-9180, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
