RAYSTOWN LAKE, Pa. -- Following an extensive relocation project, the Artesian Well at Aitch Recreation Area of Raystown Lake is once again available for public use and consumption. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) received results July 8 verifying the water is safe for consumption and resumed flow of the artesian water to public access. This water will flow continuously (there is no shut-off valve) and provide safe, potable water to park visitors.
In 2019, the former well location was removed due to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) testing standards. It is now relocated next to a newly established building near the restroom at Aitch. This relocation allows USACE to monitor and treat the water to meet DEP standards before it becomes available to users. The new location is just uphill from the former artesian well location, near the restroom building and the parking lot.
The water spigot is located on the outside of the building and will supply continuous water, as long as acceptable testing levels are maintained.
According to Park Ranger Allen Gwinn, “As long as the water is coming out, visitors can rest assured the water is safe to drink.”
For more information on the Raystown Lake Project, please visit https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/DamsRecreation/Raystown.aspx.
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Baltimore District celebrates 175 years of Service to our Nation in 2022
Since the Nation’s fight for independence, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played a vital role in developing our Nation. The Baltimore District has a long and storied history that extends as far back as the early 1800s when USACE constructed Fort McHenry, successfully shielding Baltimore against British attacks in the War of 1812. And when the threat of coastal attack diminished in the 1820s, Baltimore District turned its attention to developing roadways, railways, canals, and more, marking the beginning of the District’s Civil Works mission. Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Baltimore District has an extensive flood risk management program, inspecting nearly 150 miles of levee systems and operating 16 dams, translating to the prevention of more than $16 billion of flood damages to date. The district maintains 290 miles of federal channels, including dredging the Baltimore Harbor, which material is beneficial mainly for restoration missions, such as the expansion of Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The district has vast ecosystem restoration missions that include restoring native oyster populations in the Bay. Baltimore District is the only district to operate a public utility — the Washington Aqueduct — that produces an average of 135 million gallons of drinking water per day at two treatment plants for approximately one million citizens living, working, or visiting the National Capital Region. The district also cleans up formerly used defense sites, decommissions and deactivates former nuclear power plants, and performs cleanup of low-level radioactive waste from the Nation’s early atomic weapons program. Baltimore District executes a robust military construction program and provides real estate services. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.
For more information, please visit www.nab.usace.army.mil/.