Lake Elkhorn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Elkhorn
View of Lake Elkhorn at Sunrise
Lake Elkhorn Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland Lake Elkhorn Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Columbia, Maryland
Coordinates	39°11′01″N 76°50′27″W / 39.1836°N 76.8409°W / 39.1836; -76.8409
Type	manmade
Primary inflows	Elkhorn Branch of the Little Patuxent River
Primary outflows	Little Patuxent River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	37 acres (15 ha)
Surface elevation	295 feet (90 m)

Spillway and dam of Lake Elkhorn

The wooden docks on the north side of Lake Elkhorn, facing northeast

Lake Elkhorn is a 37-acre (150,000 m²) reservoir located in the Owen Brown area of Columbia, Maryland. It is Columbia's third and largest lake. Its main features are a small dam and a park with a picnic pavilion and a two-mile (3 km) walking path around the lake. The path was built in 1982and is surrounded by a park and townhouses. The lake, which was built in 1974, is named for the Elkhorn branch of the Little Patuxent River. In 1969, Spiro Agnew proclaimed the arrival of the first Columbia based scientific firm, Hittman Associates that relocated for favorable lease rates from Howard Research and Development. Hittman in turn was contracted by the EPA using Wilde Lake as an example to recommend reuse of storm water runoff from all of Columbia's reservoir systems for residential drinking water to save on development costs. The lake is overseen by the Columbia Association.