Liberty Reservoir is a reservoir west of Baltimore, Maryland; about a mile north of Patapsco Valley State Park's McKeldin area. It is owned by the City of Baltimore Department of Public Works, but is located outside of the city, and it divides Baltimore and Carroll Counties.HistoryThis 1,225 hectare (3,100 acre) was the former site of the town of Oakland Mills, and the Melville Woolen Mills. The land was purchased from the Melville family in the 1930s. A rumor swirled that Oakland would be destroyed, but few left. An announcement was finally made in 1942 that a reservoir was to be built, but reality hit in 1947, when the timber cutters came to town.In 1951, the government bought the Melville Woolen Mill for $1.5 million. It bought the farms and houses that were in the way of the lake. The tenant workers were forced to leave.The mill was dynamited, although its five-story shell remained. It took years for the water to rise high enough to cover the crumbling walls. Over several years, the natural springs, tributaries, and other water sources filled in where Oakland Mills once stood to create the reservoir. Water overflowed the crest for the first time on February 6, 1956.GeographyThe North Branch of the Patapsco River is the primary tributary that feeds the reservoir. Other tributaries include Beaver Run, Keyer's Run, Prugh Run, Morgan Run, Middle Run, Locust Run, and Cooks Branch. Reservoir length is 11 mi (18 km) with a shoreline length at full pool of 81 mi (131 km). The average depth is 59 ft (18 m) with a maximum depth of 144 ft (44 m).
