I Love Deep Creek Blog

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Mud, dead fish replace lake after Iowa dam break

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Monday, July 26, 2010

‘Nasty storm’ slams county: Flips a building with man inside at Sunset Beach

Monday, July 26, 2010 6:55 AM

(Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.))By Evelyn Ryan, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

July 26--The storm front responsible for the heat advisory Friday and Saturday slammed through the Morgantown area shortly after noon Sunday, leaving temperatures in the mid-70s behind.

Winds gusting up to 20 mph felled trees, downed power lines and, at Sunset Beach, relocated a building onto a truck.

Things are i m p roving weatherwise—at least for this week, AccuWeather Meteorologist Justin Povick said Sunday.

“For the next week, it looks like you will get a break from the intense heat and humidity,” he said. “The temperatures through midweek will be closer to normal, with humidity on the low side [today] and Tuesday. Highs will range from 84-87.”

Another storm system is projected to move through this area Thursday, leaving temperatures around 80 degrees for Friday and Saturday.

Sunday’s storm dropped a half inch of rain in just 20-30 minutes, he said.

Brad Burns, an employee of Sunset Beach Marina, was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the storm arrived Sunday.

He was working at the marina when the high winds accompanying the storm swirled through the Cheat Lake area shortly after noon.

“I was standing on the back of a boat when it hit,” he said. “It picked me up and threw me into the front of the boat. I looked up just in time to see the building flip over and land on my truck.”

Marina Owner Barry Frey added, “One of my workers was in the shed. It turned over right around him. Sometimes you have to give God credit—thankfully, no one was hurt.”

Lack of the building won’t keep the marina from operating, he said, but it is a loss to the business.

Emergency crews weren’t needed at the lake. Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bernie Murray said they were called out, but the call was canceled as they were starting out.

“The wind came up the lake and flipped the building,” he said.

The quick-moving storm was accompanied by a tornado warning for northeastern Monongalia and Preston counties, Fayette County, Pa., and Garrett County, Md., Povick said. The warning ran from 12:30-1 p.m.

Widespread wind damage was reported from Hazelton to Friendsville, Md., with many reports of damaging winds gusting at an estimated 55-65 mph right along the Interstate 68 corridor, he said.

Read the rest 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 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Garrett group hopes to show negative effects of consolidation

Kitzmiller councilman says keeping school top priority
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News

— KITZMILLER — While the Garrett County school board prepares to discuss closing elementary schools, a group of county residents is working to show what losing those schools could mean for their communities.

Parents, municipal officials and other concerned residents from areas like Crellin, Bloomington and Kitzmiller are organizing into a coalition called the Small Rural School Focus Group, to advocate for keeping all existing elementary schools in Garrett County.

“My biggest concern is about the communities,” said Angie Paugh, a Kitzmiller resident and mother of four with two children currently enrolled at Kitzmiller Elementary. “This is where my kids play after school. This is where they’re involved in sports. This is where we live. The whole town is really going to go if the school goes.”

The group held its first official meeting July 12, and is in the process of developing research and ways of sharing information with officials and the public on small rural schools in the educational system.

“We really, in Kitzmiller, see it a lot as a community development and revitalization issue,” said Matthew Paugh, a Kitzmiller town councilman not related to Angie Paugh. He pointed out that the town’s 2004 strategic plan called retaining the school its most important priority “by far.”

Paugh said the school is not only a place for educating children, but also a lifelong learning facility for the community. But for that to work, Garrett County’s school system must continue to maintain it.

“The town really doesn’t have the economic resources to pull that off alone, without having something else in that building,” he said.

Angie Paugh said the group’s aim is not to launch a negative campaign against the school system’s board, administrators or other employees. Instead, it will highlight what members believe is the crucial role of small rural schools, and will present the board with alternatives to consolidation.

“Research demonstrates that small neighborhood schools reduce the achievement gap, provide better education and bridge socioeconomic differences,” the group stated in a news release. “These schools serve as anchors for their communities.”

School officials have attributed the consolidation discussion partly to a budget crunch caused by major state funding reductions. The cuts include funds lost because of decreasing student enrollment and because of changes in the way the state calculates aid per pupil.

The board is expected to discuss a timeframe for considering consolidation in its August meeting. A decision on the issue was expected in December. But by law, the board would have until as late as April 2011 to vote on any school closures that would go into effect in the following academic year.

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Friday, July 23, 2010

MDE Fines MLP Couple For Alleged Wetlands Violation

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Jul. 22, 2010

The Maryland Department of the Environment has announced 25 recent major enforcement actions seeking penalties totaling $1.2 million for alleged violations of MDE requirements for water, air and radiation management, and land.

A Mountain Lake Park couple was among those cited. Michael and Dawna Ashby paid $1,500 to the Maryland Nontidal Wetlands Compensation Fund on May 7 to resolve alleged nontidal wetlands violations, including failing to obtain MDE authorization for disturbing 400 square feet of emergent wetlands and 1,800 square feet of wetlands buffer.

Corrective actions have been completed, according to an MDE press release.

“The Maryland Department of the Environment’s top priority is to protect public health and our environment, and a consistent baseline of enforcement actions prevents further pollution and risks to public health,” said MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson. “The vast majority of Maryland businesses which are in compliance deserve to have environmental laws fairly applied across the board.”

State law requires that prior to performing construction activity, a person obtain and implement a Soil Conservation District-approved erosion and sediment control plan for any proposed land clearing or earth disturbance greater than 5,000 square feet, which must be maintained for the life of the project.

It is unlawful for any person to introduce soil or sediment into waters of the state or to place soil or sediment in a condition or location where it is likely to be washed into waters of the state.

State law requires that property owners notify MDE before conducting any work in tidal and nontidal wetlands, their buffers, and waterways of the state. MDE assesses the impact of any work on tidal and nontidal wetlands and, if appropriate, will issue a permit authorizing the work.

For more information, persons may visit http://mde.state.md.us/

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Board Of Education Members Question 2010 Maintenance Plan

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Jul. 22, 2010

With discussions of possible school closures on the horizon, the Garrett County Board of Education recently faced controversy over the 2010 Education Facilities Maintenance Plan that was presented by Jim Thomas at the recent board meeting. Thomas is the director of facilities and maintenance for all area schools, and the plan outlines ratings for each school to describe the quality of the facility.

At the start of the meeting, when the agenda was being discussed, it was suggested by board member Thomas Carr that it be added to the agenda a brief discussion about where things are headed with the upcoming school closure issue. Board member Jim Raley commented that it would not be fair to the public to add something “so critical” to the agenda after the original agenda was sent out.

Formal discussion has yet to take place on this issue, and plans are set for the August meeting to address the concerns. The amendment was withdrawn and the original agenda was approved unanimously by the board.

Thomas then took the floor to present the changes recently made to the maintenance master plan, with the ultimate goal being that the board approve the changes and the plan would then be submitted to the state. Thomas and eight other employees give input on the stability and conditions of the facilities currently in use by the county school system.

Raley voiced one of his conerns over the plan, noting that certain facility ratings have dropped drastically in the last year. When comparing the 2009 ratings and the 2010 ratings of Kitzmiller Elementary School, for example, a total of 15 areas dropped from fair or good condition to poor. Raley questioned whether this had something to do with the impending closing of this or other schools.

“I have trouble believing that this document will not become part of a case,” said Raley.

“What you’re saying about our staff is they’ve got some kind of hidden agenda or motive going on,” said member Rodney Durst.

Read the rest 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 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

All Garrett County Schools Achieve Adequate Yearly Progress On MSAs

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Jul. 22, 2010

The Maryland State Department of Education recently released system level results regarding Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Results show that all Garrett County elementary and middle schools achieved AYP. This indicates that a significant number of students scored at the proficient and advanced levels in reading and mathematics on the MSA and Alternate MSA.

This also shows that no schools in Garrett County have been identified by the MSDE as needing improvement. As well as the overall population, in order to meet the federal guidelines of No Child Left Behind, students in specified subgroups, including racial/ethnic classifications, students eligible for free or reduced price meals, and students with special needs must also meet the AYP goals. According to the test results, all of these groups of students in Garrett County successfully met their goals.

“The [Board of Education] members and I are so proud of our students, teachers, staff, principals, and central office administrators for this outstanding performance,” said Dr. Wendell Teets, superintendent of GC schools. “Our students [lost] to snow 17 days of instruction immediately before the MSA testing, and still every school made AYP with no school in any type of improvement status.”

MSA math scores at all elementary and middle school grade levels improved in 2010 compared to 2009 results. Math at the 8th grade level had a 10.4% gain from last year, which is recorded as the biggest improvement at any level. Seventh grade tests had 90.4% of the students scoring proficient/advanced. All other grade levels scored in the 80% to 88% proficient range on the MSA math exam.

In reading, grades 4, 6, and 8 improved in 2010 compared to 2009, with grade 8 having the largest percentage gain of 13.8%. In grades 3, 5, and 7 scores dropped by less than 2 percentage points from last year. Grades 4, 5, and 6 had more than 90% of the students scoring proficient/advanced in reading.

Read the rest 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 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Final Slate Of Political Candidates Noted By GC Board Of Elections

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The final slate of local candidates for the September primary elections has been released by the Garrett County Board of Elections.

Republican state senator George Edwards will have no competition in his bid to retain his position, while Delegate Wendell Beitzel will be challenged in the general election in November by Democrat James R. “Smokey” Stanton.

Challenging incumbent District I county commissioner Ernest Gregg will be fellow Republican Gregan Crawford. Leroy Bernard Sr. had entered the race, but has withdrawn. The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Eric Robison, who is unchallenged, in the general election.

Filing for District II county commissioner on the Republican side are incumbent Fred Holliday and Jim Raley. There are no Demo-crat candidates.

In county commissioner District III, Republican incumbent Denny Glotfelty will face Robert Gatto, Louis Newcomb Jr., and Timothy Thomas in the primary. Squaring off in the Democratic race will be George Falter and Bill Welch.

Read the rest 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 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Sewage Spills Occur At Deep Creek; DPU, Commissioners Resolving Issue

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Jul. 22, 2010

A 42,000-gallon sewage overflow that occurred at Deep Creek Lake last week was caused by an electrical malfunction at a pump station, according to Garrett County Department of Public Utilities director Linda Lindsey. She and the Garrett County commissioners met on Tuesday and came up with a solution to help counteract future malfunctions.

The spill took place along the lake near the intersection of Garrett Highway and Lake Shore Drive at about 7 a.m. on Sunday, July 11, at Pump Station 2-2. A nearby resident reported the incident to DPU at about 9:30 a.m. Lindsey estimates the overflow duration to be a total of three hours.

She said a short in a power cord that supplies Pump No. 1 kicked out the station’s main breaker. When the generator started, it should have kicked on Pump No. 2 or a bypass pump. But because of the main breaker being kickoff, the generator detected a “dead short” and shut down to “protect itself.” This caused the pumps not to work, leading to the overflow.

“It’s just a freak thing that happened to the electric line,” the director said about the malfunction.

Read the rest 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 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Hundreds of dead fish found in Deep Creek Lake

Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News

— DEEP CREEK LAKE — The mysterious deaths of hundreds of fish in Deep Creek Lake have prompted an investigation by state environmental officials and a warning to lakegoers to avoid all contact with fish carcasses.

As of Thursday afternoon, approximately 200 fish had been found dead in and around the lake, in what Maryland Department of the Environment spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus called “a localized, sustained fish kill.”

“At this time, no evidence suggests a threat to human health; however, visitors and residents are advised to avoid touching, swimming with, or coming into close proximity to any dead fish,” MDE officials stated in a news release.

Stoltzfus said the first dead fish began appearing Saturday.

The cause and exact location of the fish kill is still unknown. It appears to have occurred in the deepest part of the lake, Stoltzfus said, because most of the dead fish have been large adults. Shallower waters do not seem to be affected, at this point.

Many fish have washed up on the beach in the Green Glade Cove area, but that could be due to the direction the wind blows off the lake.

“Where they’re ending up isn’t necessarily where the fish kill is happening,” she said.

The majority of the dead fish have been yellow perch, but walleye, smallmouth bass, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, bluegill, chain pickerel, Northern pike and crayfish carcasses have also been found.

MDE and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have launched an investigation into the cause of the fish kill. Investigators will conduct water quality, carcass and fish feces testing, and a diagnostic analysis of affected species.

On July 11, an electrical malfunction at a pump station caused 42,000 gallons of sewage to overflow along the shore of the lake, near the intersection of U.S. Route 219 and Lake Shore Drive. But Stoltzfus said investigators have not yet found evidence that points to any specific cause for the fish kill, including the sewage spill.

Fish kills are a very unusual occurrence at Deep Creek Lake. MDE only has record of one other such incident, in 2004, in which an individual reported 78 dead yellow perch. When investigators arrived at the lake, they did not find any fish carcasses or any evidence that pointed to a cause for a fish kill.

People who find dead fish in the lake area or have information about anything that could have contributed to the ongoing incident should contact MDE at 443-482-2732.

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Small Garrett County school ranks No. 1 in test scores

Crellin Elementary had a pass rate of 100 percent; Benfield in Arundel was No. 2
By Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun

7:55 p.m. EDT, July 22, 2010

The best elementary schools in the state come in all sizes and areas, from a small school filled with low-income students in the far reaches of Western Maryland to a midsize one in a wealthy neighborhood of Anne Arundel County.

Of the 874 elementary schools in the state, Crellin Elementary, a schoolhouse nestled in a coal mining area that has amassed a collection of prizes for leadership, environmental teaching and character education, is the school with the highest pass rate on the Maryland School Assessment.
With an average 100 percent pass rate, the 100 students at Crellin edged out Anne Arundel County’s Benfield Elementary, a school whose students live in neighborhoods along the banks of the Severn River.

The rankings were done by The Baltimore Sun after analysis of the state’s MSA data. State officials released the annual report card on reading and math Tuesday.

Read the rest 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 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Jim Raley seeks Garrett County commission seat

Cumberland Times-News

— FINZEL — In announcing his candidacy for Garrett County commissioner in District 2, Jim Raley (R) stated that, “For too long, citizens’ input has been ignored and when they are willing to speak out they are often chastised and belittled for standing up for their rights as taxpayers. This must change!”

A longtime force in Garrett County, Raley has been a teacher (24 years); a member of the Garrett County Board of Education (13 years); and administrator. He has served 33 years with the Eastern Garrett County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, of which he currently serves as president of both organizations. He also serves on the board for the park located in Finzel.

Having been involved in all aspects of budgeting and employee oversight, Raley is concerned that the Garrett County budget continues to increase and the county continues to spend taxpayers’ money on “pay as you go” projects, while cutting vital services. “While it is great the county can afford to save enough money to fund multimillion dollar projects,” Raley stated, “the current taxpayers are bearing those costs through increased assessments and higher taxes. The county boasts of having little indebtedness. However, the reason for this is simply that the money is generated from real estate taxes and they have increased over $14 million in the past four years. The time to lead is now during this economic turndown!

“Because of the pay as you go attitude, this year the county eliminated 26 positions,” Raley continued, “and those were living wages and benefits which enabled families to live and work in Garrett County. We must look towards bonds for our long-term projects and look to maintain jobs for our citizens and grow our county and economic strength.”

Raley concluded, “With the county cutting jobs to fund capital projects, our economic future is grim and our youth will not be able to live and work in Garrett County, our school enrollments will continue to decline and our economic base will continue to dwindle.”

This election will likely be determined in the primary on Sept. 14 as there is no Democratic opponent seeking the office.

Jim Raley has lived in Garrett County for 47 years in the Finzel area with his wife, Susan, where they raised their two children, Sharee and Ainsley. Raley can be contacted at 301-707-1061, at or Jim Raley’s Facebook page.

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Garrett Memorial Hospital discharges satisfied customers

Kristin Harty Barkley
Cumberland Times-News

— CUMBERLAND — Garrett County Memorial Hospital outperformed most hospitals in Maryland last year, including the two former branches of Western Maryland Regional Medical Center — at least according to patients.

In a survey of discharged patients, 74 percent said they would recommend Garrett Memorial to family and friends, compared to 60 percent for Cumberland Memorial and 67 percent for Braddock.

Statewide, about 64 percent of pa-tients surveyed said they would recommend a Maryland hospital.

The Hospital Guide data, published last week by the Maryland Health Care Commission, includes information on how each Maryland hospital performed in 14 areas of care, including treatment of patients with heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia. It also rates how well hospitals manage surgical care, including prevention of infections and blood clots.

Collected during calendar year 2009, the surveys were completed by about 41,000 patients discharged from Maryland’s 46 acute care hospitals.

Western Maryland Health System opened its new hospital in mid-November 2009, closing the Memorial and Braddock campuses.

On the surveys, patients were asked 27 questions about their recent hospital stay, including questions about how clean and quiet the hospital was and how well doctors, nurses, and staff communicated with them.

At Garrett, 76 percent of patients said the hospital was clean, compared to 70 percent at Memorial and 66 percent at Braddock. Statewide, 63 percent of respondents gave a favorable response for cleanliness.

In communication, too, Garrett ranked well above the state averages — and above scores for Johns Hopkins University Hospital, which was the No. 1 most recommended hospital.

For example, 87 percent of patients at Garrett said doctors communicated well with them, compared to 79 percent at Memorial and 78 percent at Braddock. At Johns Hopkins, 81 percent of patients gave doctors a favorable communication score, and statewide, it was 78 percent.

Braddock and Memorial both scored at or above the state average in most categories, though their overall favorable ratings of 60 and 56 percent were below the state average of 61 percent. Garrett’s overall rating was 73 percent.

Maryland was one of three states to participate in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey, a standardized national survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care.

The data, available at http://mhcc.maryland.gov/consumerinfo/hospitalguide/index.htms, is a tool for the public to compare quality measures at the state’s hospitals, said Marilyn Moon, chair of the Maryland Health Care Commission.

“Publicly reporting timely and important information about quality will assist consumers in making informed choices about their health care and provide hospitals with performance benchmarks that can assist in their quality improvement activities,” Moon said.

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Forever changed - Backbone Mountain ridge at Eagle Rock

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Jul. 15, 2010

The Backbone Mountain ridge at Eagle Rock in southeastern Garrett County has been vastly altered, with 28 massive wind turbines now being erected. They can be seen for many miles. After years of debate, a long permitting process, and a variety of violations of water, air, and land regulations resulting in fines, Constellation Energy was successful in bringing the project to fruition, opening the door to more wind industry development in the county. This aerial shot was taken by Bob Browning, McHenry. The blades for the towers have been arriving over the past week or so, one of them resulting in a power outage yesterday when the delivery vehicle accidently tore down power lines near Mason School Road.

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Hiring freeze will affect Garrett Roads

Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News

Oakland — OAKLAND — Garrett County’s hiring freeze means the county roads department will be down 16 roads workers through at least spring 2011.

The department lost 16 employees through retirements, and those employees cannot be replaced because of the freeze. On top of that, two other employees will be absent because of military leave, bringing the total to 18.

“The optimum thing would be to hire employees, but understanding that we have the hiring freeze … we’re going to work something out here to do the best we can,” department Superintendent Jay Moyer told the county commission Tuesday.

Moyer outlined a plan to shuffle workers from the Oakland garage to the Grantsville garage to try to cover staffing gaps at Grantsville, which had the highest number of retirements with eight.

Two operators and one foreman will move from the Oakland garage to Grantsville. The Oakland garage will also take over road service for Pine Hill Road to the top of Spring Lick Road, an area normally serviced by the Grantsville garage.

Commissioner Fred Holliday, whose district is the Grantsville area, expressed concerns that fewer roads workers means roads will go unplowed for long periods during the winter.

“With losing a minimum of four drivers — four plows — that’s four routes that aren’t going to get done,” Holliday said.

But Moyer said that won’t be the case.

“You’re saying a route won’t get done. It will,” he said. “But this is going to take some public cooperation and understanding that it won’t be exactly like it was in the past in a major snow event.”

“The best we can do is hope for a mild winter this year,” Moyer added.

Moyer said summer maintenance work, such as mowing and cleaning ditches and shoulders, might actually be harder to accomplish with fewer employees.

“The public needs to understand that we will continue to operate as we have in the past, but with a shortage of manpower it may be difficult to do the same schedule that we did in the past,” he said. “But we will work at getting things done as quickly as we can.”

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Pump station malfunction blamed for sewage spill

From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — An electrical malfunction at a pump station caused 42,000 gallons of sewage to overflow near the shore of Deep Creek Lake early Sunday morning.

The incident occurred near the intersection of Garrett Highway (U.S. Route 219) and Lake Shore Drive at about 7 a.m. Sunday, according to Linda Lindsey, director of Garrett County’s Department of Public Utilities.

Lindsey said electricians are working to determine the cause of the malfunction, which is unclear. An electrical short apparently prevented a generator from supplying backup power to the pumps.

“This was very unusual,” she said. “This does not happen on a regular basis.”

Access to the spill area was restricted and the area was disinfected, Lindsey said. A public service announcement was broadcast on the radio to notify the public of the hazard.

The county also notified Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials of the spill.

The area remained restricted as of Tuesday afternoon. Lindsey said officials will conduct daily testing and water-quality monitoring there until e. coli counts fall to acceptable levels.

Those counts have already declined significantly, she said.

The county health department recommends that people avoid swimming in that area of the lake until it is cleared, Lindsey added.

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 Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on www.DeepCreekAlive.com!

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