The Deep Creek Lake Natural Resource Management Area lies just west of the Allegheny Front on a large plateau known as the Tablelands or Allegany Highlands. It lies west of the Eastern Continental Divide and within the Mississippi River watershed. The lake was created in 1925 when the Deep Creek project was constructed by the Youghiogheny Hydroelectric Company. At full pool, Deep Creek, with 65 miles of shoreline, has a surface area of 3,900 acres with a storage volume of approximately 106,000 acre-ft. at the 2,462 elevation level. The lake’s drainage is 64.7 square miles. Currently the water withdrawal from the lake is permitted for the Deep Creek power station and other limited purposes.