Overview

The Army Corps of Engineers is the steward of the lands and waters at Corps water resources projects. Its Natural Resources Management mission is to manage and conserve those natural resources, consistent with the ecosystem management principles, while providing quality public outdoor recreation experiences to serve the needs of present and future generations. On 26 May 2011, the USACE Recreation community announced the public release of the USACE National Recreation Program Strategic Plan, which seeks to transform and reposition the recreation program while maintaining the agency's role as a major federal, water-based recreation provider. Visit the Corps Lakes Gateway for your gateway to recreation opportunities at Corps lands and waters.

The Baltimore District regulates 17 reservoirs in the State of Maryland, West Virginia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New York. To obtain information regarding the regulation of these reservoirs please visit our Water Resources Page (with the exception of Indian Rock and Arkport Dams). All of these projects listed below offer a variety of recreational opportunities. Projects whose recreation is managed by the Corps of Engineers offer on-line reservations for camping through the National Recreation Reservation Service. For information on reserving campsites at the other projects, please contact the park manager at the phone number provided in the link.

The district also executes a risk-informed Dam Safety Program that includes inspections and repair work for its dams.

 

Policy for Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)

It is incumbent upon visitors of USACE recreation projects to know the rules concerning use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), such as drones. 

UAS pose a potential risk to USACE personnel, safety, infrastructure, equipment and mission conduct.

In accordance with Title 36 CFR, Parks, Forest and Public Property, Parts 327.4(b) and (c), UAS are prohibited from flying over any USACE projects, except over lands designated by the District Commander or Operations Project Manager.

If a person is operating a UAS in undesignated areas, without exclusive permission, or recklessly, local law enforcement may be called upon.

Please adhere to the information in the "Policy for Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at Corps Operations Division Project Lands of the Baltimore District."

Maryland and West Virginia Dams & Recreation

Dam Safety Program

Baltimore District's 2022 Recreation Photo Contest

Attention all outdoor Extraordinaire’s! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Baltimore District invites you to enter your pictures in our photo contest! As you are out enjoying USACE projects, be sure to have your camera handy to capture the great landscapes, dams and recreational opportunities. Submit your digital photographs beginning May 30, 2022 through September 5, 2022 by following the contest rules below.

Winners of the photo contest will have their photos included in the Chesapeake Engineer Magazine, along with a USACE prize package. The winning photos may also be displayed in Visitor Centers located at Raystown Lake, Jennings Randolph Lake and Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes’.

Contest Rules

By entering or participating in the Contest, Contestants agree to be bound by these official rules.

Who May Enter:

Any photographer who is at least 18 years of age and is a legal resident of the United States.

What to Enter:

Photos should be taken at the following U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities and adjacent state parks:

  • Raystown Lake
  • Jennings Randolph Lake
  • Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes’

Follow this link for facility locations: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dams-Recreation/

Contestants can submit up to four photos per category in the following categories:

  • Landscape
  • Recreation
  • Leisure
  • Moment Shots
  • Portrait
  • Nature/Wildlife

Photographs containing nudity, obscenity, profanity, pornography, violence, and anything that is lewd or offensive in nature, or otherwise inappropriate images will be excluded from the contest. The U.S. Government reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject and disqualify any images that are considered inappropriate or depicting unsafe activities.

No alteration or manipulation of photographs is permitted except for cropping, red eye removal, and/or adjustment of contrast and brightness.

Winning photos from previous years will not be considered.

How to Enter:

Photos must be submitted by email or Facebook messenger:

The e-mail must contain appropriate contact information for the entrant, and containing at a minimum, full name, address, and phone number of the entrant. The e-mail must also contain the category designation of the photo submission.

Identification of the location at which the photograph was taken is strongly recommended. Please describe any action depicted in the photo if applicable. Any personal information that is submitted by the contestants will be for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers internal use only and for the sole purpose of this photo contest. Contestant entry information will not be shared with any other parties or appear with entries on the Facebook album where photos will be ‘judged.’

Each photo must be an original photo personally taken by the entrant at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility or structure.

A credit will be provided under winning images selected for the Chesapeake Engineer Magazine. Entrants should include how they want their name to appear in the credit line. Descriptions or titles, if any, used with the photos are at the government’s sole discretion.

Entry Deadlines:

Submit your digital photographs beginning May 30, 2022, through September 5, 2022.

Judging and Recognition:

All photographs will be posted into an album on Baltimore District’s Facebook page and will be open for public voting beginning September 12 at noon and ending at noon on December 12. Votes will be counted according to the number of ‘likes’ each photo receives. Entrants may tag or identify their photos on Facebook at their own discretion. Winning photographs will be announced on the Baltimore District web page, Facebook page and in other related media outlets.

Restrictions:

The submitted images must be the photographer’s original work. The photographer certifies that the images submitted have never been copyrighted or, if copyrighted, that the photographer is the copyright owner. The photographer must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. The submission of the photograph is your guarantee that you are the author and copyright holder of such photograph.

Photographs from the public domain are excluded from the contest. USACE cannot and will not print digital photographs that have previously appeared in commercial newspapers, magazine, or have appeared on commercial websites.

All photographs should be taken at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility or structure or adjacent state park within Baltimore District’s recreational and dam facilities.

If the photograph is of a minor child (under 18), a parent’s permission must be obtained by the photographer. Submittal of the photograph is the entrant’s warranty that the photograph does not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that written permission has been received by the entrant from any third party whose image appears in the photograph. By submitting a photo in this contest, you give the U.S. Government the right to use or display the photo on U.S. Government web pages and publications, as well as the web pages and publications of associated organizations without payment, compensation or other consideration to the contestant. Entrant also gives the government the right to edit, resize, convert, and recompress the photo for viewing convenience and/or faster loading. The submitted photograph may be used singly or in combination with other photographs.

All photos entered in this contest will become the property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and will not be returned. The entrant of the photos grants the USACE the right to display the photos online, and to use the photos in print or online.

In the event that the ownership of a photograph submitted is challenged in any manner by any person, the Government may disqualify that photograph and will discontinue its use.

By clicking here and submitting your photos, you agree to abide by the Photo Contest rules as described above:

 

 

Baltimore and Washington, D.C. recreation flyer

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the largest provider of water-based outdoor recreation in the nation. The Corps' Baltimore District regulates 17 reservoirs in the State of Maryland, West Virginia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New York. All of these projects offer a variety of affordable recreational opportunities, and many of them are within 200 miles of the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia corridor (click here to expand photo).