Centennial Celebration

What began as a project to produce hydroelectric power has evolved over the past century into a tourist attraction responsible for $300 million in economic impact each year. 

Deep Creek Lake may have started as a way to generate electricity but today it generates fun and money

By Guy Fletcher

McHENRY—What today is a sprawling, serpentine lake covering 3,900 acres in Garrett County and serving as a recreational and economic hub was, in the early 20th century, a rural valley of farms, homes and schools, resembling much of the rest of bucolic Western Maryland.

But along came the Youghiogheny Hydro Electric Corporation and its mission to build a lake in the state without natural lakes—damming a tributary of the Youghiogheny River to flood the land, all in the name of generating electricity and creating Deep Creek Lake. Construction of the dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1925; the hydroelectric plant began operating on May 26 of that year.

Today, Deep Creek Lake doesn’t generate a significant amount of electricity, but it does produce another kind of juice: tourism. Visitors flock to the lake to fish, swim, boat and just relax alongside the tranquil waters—and that is just in the summer. The adjoining year-round Wisp Resort is popular in the winter—attracting skiers, snowboarders, and other outdoor adventure enthusiasts and making Deep Creek Lake an all-season destination.

“It’s a large part of our economy,” says Nick Sharps, interim president of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. He cites a 2020 West Virginia University study that showed Deep Creek Lake was responsible for generating $300 million a year for the local economy.

“I shudder to think what Garrett County is without both of those,” Sharps says of the lake and Wisp.

To mark its 100 years, Deep Creek Lake pulled together a year of events, kicking off with a lecture series about the lake and continuing with Thursday trivia nights at Ace’s Run Restaurant and Pub. There was
also  a shore and lake cleanup for Earth Day (April 26), and A Taste of Garrett County (April 29). Other events throughout the year will feature boat parades and floats, sailboat regatta, a golf tournament, and wine festival, among others.

For a complete list of Deep Creek Lake events this year, visit www.dcl100.com.

Deep Creek Lake covers 3,900 acres and is a popular destination for boating, swimming, fishing, and just relaxing beneath the Western Maryland skies.

“Our goal is to have something Deep Creek Lake-related every month,” says Chris Nichols, chairman of the Deep Creek Lake Centennial Committee.

The highlight of the celebration will be the Deep Creek Lake 100th Birthday Bash on July 19 at the Garrett County Fairgrounds. The family-friendly event will feature bands and other music, a parade, arts and crafts, food vendors, a beer garden, contests, and a special grand finale that Nichols teases is “top secret.”

In planning the celebration, the Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek formed the centennial committee in 2023, bringing together local residents and business people, representatives from local and state government, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders involved in promoting the lake.

Nichols’ own connection to the lake has deep roots. He lives in the same cabin his grandparents built in the 1930s (“It’s been a little improved since then,” he says with a laugh) and works as a real estate professional in the community. He also operates his own cartography business that creates maps of the region.

Such ties might explain why he stresses that the centennial is about more than honoring the lake’s past. To that end, the committee is also creating some long-term projects, including the placement of a time capsule—filled with items from this year and to be opened in 2125—and the installation of 20 new interpretive panels that provide information about the history, science, and heritage of the lake.  

“One of our themes was not only to celebrate the first 100 years of Deep Creek Lake … but to reinforce the idea that we need to preserve and protect the lake for the next hundred years,” Nichols says.