Dam Removal Complete on Maryland's Patapasco River

The Bloede Dam was the most downstream of a series of three dams on the Patapsco River in the Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland. Now all three dams have been removed, concluding with the Bloede Dam, and the river runs free.

1 minute read

September 13, 2019, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Patapsco River

The Bloede Dam is dead. Long live the Patapsco River. | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region / Flickr

Jessie Thomas Blate writes to commemorate the completion of a dam removal project on the Patapsco River in Maryland.

American Rivers undertook the project to remove the Bloede Dam on the Patapsco River in Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland.

"American Rivers removed two dams upstream in 2010—Simkins Dam and Union Dam. Finally, more than 65 miles of spawning habitat for blueback herring, alewife, American shad, hickory shad and more than 183 miles for American eel have been reconnected in the Patapsco," according to Thomas Blate.

The article includes photos of the site in its current state, ready for outdoor recreation but also still in a fragile state of recovery.

For more background on the project, see also a news article by Cody Boteler, published in the Baltimore Sun in August 2019, and an opinion piece by Richard B. Karel, published by The Washington Post in June 2019.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Cars parked and plugged in at an EV charging lot in Santa Monica, California surrounded by palm trees.

EV Chargers Now Outnumber Gas Pumps by Nearly 50% in California

Fast chargers still lag behind amidst rapid growth.

March 28 - Inside EVs

Construction workers on a suspended platform are installing thermal insulation on the facade of a modern apartment building, improving energy efficiency and reducing heat loss during cold weather.

Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks

HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.

March 28 - Bloomberg CityLab

Sign above entrance of United States Department of Transportation.

Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?

USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.

March 28 - Streetsblog USA