The Bathymetry of Deep Creek Lake

Determining an accurate bathymetry (map of depths around Deep Creek Lake) should be high on the list of priorities in order to assess the usefulnes of various suggested projects that deal with managing the water level of the lake. A good map can be used to assign boat slips, to place docks, to assess the need for dredging and calculate how much material to remove, to calculate the volume of water avalable to produce power, and other uses.

Creating a bathymetry map turns out to be a fairly complex subject and we'll look into that in detail in another part of this website that deals with documentation. A detailed analysis of the bathymetry of Deep Creek Lake was performed, as derived from over 600,000 measurements collected by DNR in April of 2012. The results are presented in over 30 maps of coves and areas of the lake to provide local owners with an insight as to when they can operate their boats safely.

Here we provide an overview of what we've been able collect and produce regarding establishing an accurate bathymetry.

1. The data collected by DNR in the spring of 2012 have been used by us to create bathymetric maps of coves. The details of that process and various maps can be found here.The measurements were taken at "full pool" meaning at the highest water level the lake is usually allowed to go to, namely 2,461 ft.
2. DNR's 2012 Bathymetry Map of Deep Creek Lake (49.3 MB) comprises the whole lake. Comparisons between our and DNRs appear to be reasonable. More detailed evaluations are being performed.
3. The USGS and DNR did bathymetric studies in the fall of 2007 and late summer of 2008 respectively. The result was a combined map of the bathymetry of Deep Creek Lake. This map is based on around 300,000 measurements. (0.4 MB)
4. Bathymetry Documentation - A collection of notes that describe how the bathymetry maps were created.