Jennings Randolph Lake is a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 of 952 acres (3.9 km²) located on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County

Garrett County, Maryland

Garrett County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. Created from Allegany County, Maryland in 1872 it was the last Maryland county to be formed. It was named for John Work Garrett , railroad executive, industrialist, and financier. Garrett served as president of the Baltimore...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and Mineral County

Mineral County, West Virginia

Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 28,212. Its county seat is Keyser.-Ancient history:...

, West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

. It is approximately eight miles upstream of Bloomington, Maryland

Bloomington, Maryland

Bloomington is an unincorporated town at the confluence of the North Branch Potomac River and Savage River in southeastern Garrett County, Maryland...

, and approximately five miles north of Elk Garden, West Virginia

Elk Garden, West Virginia

Elk Garden is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 217 at the 2000 census. Elk Garden was incorporated in 1890 by the Mineral County Circuit Court...

.

Construction and Management

The lake was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as authorized by the Flood Control Act

Flood Control Act

There are multiple laws known as the Flood Control Act. Typically, they are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers:-List of Flood Control Acts:*Flood Control Act of 1917...

 of October 23, 1962 (Public Law 87-874) and is described in House Document No. 469, 87th United States Congress

87th United States Congress

-House of Representatives :-Senate:* President: Richard Nixon , until January 20, 1961** Lyndon Johnson , from January 20, 1961* President pro tempore: Carl Hayden -House of Representatives:...

, second session. Construction of the lake was completed in 1981. Originally named Bloomington Lake, it was later renamed for West Virginia Senator Jennings Randolph

Jennings Randolph

Jennings Randolph was an American politician from West Virginia. He was a member of the Democratic Party and was the last surviving member of the United States Congress to have served during the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.-Early life and career:Randolph was born in...

. The lake, which serves as an emergency reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 for the Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 metropolitan area, is managed by the Corps of Engineers. Coordination of the lake's use for water supply purposes is managed by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB).

A proposal has been filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...

 by Fairlawn Hydroelectric Company to construct a 10.5 MW hydroelectric

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

facility at the dam. If approved, construction could occur as early as 2012.

Recreational Facilities

• Howell Run Picnic Area
• Howell Run Boat Launch
• Robert W. Craig Campground
• Shaw Beach
• West Virginia Overlook
• Maryland Overlook
• Maryland Boat Launch