(8/20) The long-awaited channel reconstruction of Frank Bentz Pond, a historic site with deep roots in Thurmont's community, is set to begin next spring, marking a major transformation for the area.
According to Perry Otwell, Director of Engineering and Construction at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the channel reconstruction is expected to take 12-18 months, depending on weather conditions. The project involves removing the old dam completely while also installing a new park area for residents.
Efforts to repair the dam in 2010 were unsuccessful. Otwell stated that constructing a new dam was deemed "ridiculously expensive," leading the state to opt for its removal due to safety concerns. "It’s outlived its lifetime," Otwell said.
Commissioner Bill Blakeslee expressed concerns about potential flooding after the dam is dismantled. Otwell assured that the dam's removal would not affect water flow. "The dam diverts it but doesn’t stop it," he said. The new channel design will include a step pool system to slow water flow and reduce erosion, potentially lowering the floodplain.
"I feel for those people who live down along this creek," Blakeslee said, "I just don’t know what to tell them." Otwell said that he "truly" believes residents along the creek will benefit long-term. "I think the dam probably caused more issues than it prevented," he said. Otwell went on to explain that the flood plain used to reach the houses across the street from Hunting Creek but will be reduced after the channel reconstruction.
The project is also expected to improve fishing at Hunting Creek by restoring natural habitats and allowing trout and other fish to move upstream. Otwell explained that the higher temperature of the pond and its shallow waters dampers fish reproduction, both of which will be fixed with the new design.
Otwell also addressed concerns about silt settlement, explaining that the natural flow of the creek would prevent the buildup of silt in the pond in the future, preventing the water level from decreasing over time.
The pond's beginnings date back to 1908 when a group of businessmen created the Electric Light and Power Co. Two years later, the pond was built by damming Hunting Creek. Water from the creek was routed to generators sitting in the current location of the town office.
In 1920, the Town officially formed its own electric company, known as the Thurmont Municipal Light Company. The Town has purchased power wholesale and sold it to residents since then.
In 1955, the pond was sold to the Department of Natural Resources, about one year after the death of the pond's namesake, Frank Bentz Sr. Bentz was the public relations director for the Game and Inland Fish Commission and he had helped to restore the pond shortly before his death.
