Blast & Cast Pond Dam dam
Blast & Cast Pond Dam
Blast & Cast Pond Dam, located in South Windsor, Connecticut, is a private earth dam built in 1953 primarily for recreation purposes. The dam, standing at a height of 20 feet and stretching 320 feet in length, creates a serene pond known by several names including Blast & Cast Pond and Sheppard Pond. The dam holds a storage capacity of 75 acre-feet and covers an area of 5 acres, drawing water from the Dry Brook.
Managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Blast & Cast Pond Dam is classified as a significant hazard with a satisfactory condition assessment as of June 2016. The dam features uncontrolled spillways and has undergone inspections every 7 years to ensure its safety and integrity. While the risk assessment for the dam is moderate, no emergency action plan has been prepared to date, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and maintenance to mitigate potential risks associated with the dam.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, the Blast & Cast Pond Dam serves as a fascinating example of a privately owned recreational structure that contributes to the local ecosystem. With its stone core and satisfactory condition, the dam stands as both a functional element for water storage and a recreational attraction. As climate change continues to impact water resources, understanding the management and maintenance of dams like Blast & Cast Pond becomes crucial in ensuring their long-term sustainability and safety for the surrounding community.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Blast & Cast Pond Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Broad Brook At Broad Brook | 22 cfs | → |
| Hockanum River Near East Hartford | 83 cfs | → |
| Connecticut River At Thompsonville | 18,900 cfs | → |
| North Branch Park R At Hartford | 9 cfs | → |
| Stony Brook Near West Suffield | 4 cfs | → |
| Farmington River At Tariffville | 446 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Blast & Cast Pond Dam.
Boat launches
- Bissell Bridge (Connecticut River)
- New State Road Trail Manchester
- Kings Island (Connecticut River)
- Rainbow Reservoir
- Bolton Lake (Lower)
- East River Drive East Hartford
Campgrounds
- Beech Grove 5
- Primitve Camping Area
- Wilderness Lake Campground
- Roaring Brook Camp Area
- Brialee
- Deep Campsite
Fishing spots
- Great Brook Reservoir
- Lower Fulton Park Pond
- Trout Hatchery
- Lake Quassapaug
- Seymour Reservoir Number 4
- Reservoir Number 2
Paddle runs
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Rainbow Dam To The Confluence With The Connecticut River
- The Confluence Of The East And West Branches To The Confluence With The Farmington River In East Granby
- The Confluence With The Nepaug River To A Point 0.2 Miles Below The Lower Collinsville Dam Tailrace
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 Bridge
- New Hartford/Canton Town Line To The Confluence With The Nepaug River
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut State Line In Hartland To The Confluence With The Salmon Brook Main Stem
Track Blast & Cast Pond Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Blast & Cast Pond Dam
Where does the data for Blast & Cast Pond Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Significant hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Blast & Cast Pond Dam.