(9/18) Due to the nature of the dam at Frank Bentz Memorial Pond requiring continual repair, Maryland has opted to cease repairs to the dam, and instead, focus on restoring the original streambed. Once the streambed is restored, a park will be established, according to Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock representative John Hoke.

The dam that forms the Frank Bentz Pond is named in honor of one of the Brotherhood’s founding members, Frank Bentz, senior. Hoke emphasized that a concern was that the loss of the pond would mean the loss of a memorial to the community leader, conservationist, and proponent of youth recreation.

In preservation of the legacy of local history, the Brotherhood proposed the new park to include a historic marker detailing the legacy of both the area’s early electric project and Bentz, a founder of the Brotherhood.

The dam that formed the Bentz Pond was not originally designed for recreational purposes; rather, it was part of an effort to provide hydroelectric power to local residents, according to Hoke.

In 1907, town entrepreneurs formed the Citizens Electric Light and Power Company of Thurmont, and raised money to build the dam and electric generation station. The dam’s generator was able to generate 119 Kilowatt-hours per day. The dam and plant construction were completed in 1908 and sold to the town in 1910 where it remained in operations for 15 years.

Unfortunately, the fluid dynamics of the dam are such that it becomes a place where rocks, sand, and silt settle during times of flooding and high water. In the dam’s 114 years of history, it has needed restoration numerous times, including as recently as 2006, with each restoration costing millions of dollars, Hoke said.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources plan called for ceasing the removal of gravel, stone, and silt that naturally wash into the dam’s pond, so as to allow it to fill up naturally. The filling, over time, will result in a stream about 60 yards long, with five pools large enough for fish. Once the stream establishes itself, and water flows more evenly, the areas currently occupied by the pond will dry, allowing the creation of a park. The new pools and park area will allow a safe place for youth to learn the wonders of fly fishing, and learn about the local history, said Hoke.

The Brotherhood proposed that the new park includes a historic marker in honor of both the early electric project, and the legacy of Bentz. The Brotherhood also seeks to relocate the Brotherhood monument at Thurmont Park to the new park, and have the DNR include a picnic pavilion. "This would be among the first youth-focused fly-fishing spots in the country, and certainly the first in Maryland," Hoke said.

The Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock was founded in 1940 with a mindset toward conservation and fly-fishing, according to Hoke. The group of anglers were concerned about wild places being overrun by civilization and wanted to do something to introduce coming generations to the importance of conservation through the sport of fly fishing.

The Brotherhood’s creed highlights environmental stewardship and notes they are "morally charged in [their] time with the responsibility of handing it down unspoiled to tomorrow's inheritors," Hoke said.

The Brotherhood is named for a feather from the grey jungle fowl, or the cock bird, that was highly sought as a fly-fishing lure in the 1900’s.

The town council provided unanimous approval for the efforts, and agreed to pen a letter in support for the effort to Frederick County.