Swan Lake Dam dam
Swan Lake Dam
Swan Lake Dam, located in Oxford, Connecticut, is a historic masonry structure completed in 1920 primarily for irrigation purposes. This private dam on the Little River stands at 28 feet high and stretches 325 feet in length, offering a storage capacity of 278 acre-feet. With a normal storage of 216 acre-feet and a drainage area of 0.96 square miles, Swan Lake Dam plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the region.
Despite its age, Swan Lake Dam is deemed to be in fair condition with a high hazard potential, as per the last inspection conducted in November 2019. The dam boasts a spillway width of 25 feet and a maximum discharge capacity of 245 cubic feet per second, ensuring effective flood control measures. With its picturesque location and vital role in water management and irrigation, Swan Lake Dam serves as a testament to the historical significance and engineering prowess of early 20th-century infrastructure in Connecticut.
As a regulated and inspected structure under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Swan Lake Dam stands as a testament to responsible water resource management. Its continued operation and maintenance not only support irrigation needs but also contribute to flood control and ecosystem conservation efforts along the Little River. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Swan Lake Dam represents a blend of heritage, functionality, and environmental stewardship in the heart of New Haven County.
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 Swan Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Naugatuck River At Beacon Falls | 814 cfs | → |
| Housatonic River At Stevenson | 484 cfs | → |
| Pomperaug River At Southbury | 153 cfs | → |
| Pootatuck R At Sandy Hook | 59 cfs | → |
| Mill R Nr Hamden | 90 cfs | → |
| Weekeepeemee River At Hotchkissville | 44 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Swan Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Lake Housatonic
- Lake Zoar
- Main Street Hamden
- Huntington Street Shelton
- Lake Lillinonah (Pond Brook)
- Sackett Point Road North Haven
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
- Carrington Pond
- Seymour Reservoir Number 1
- Reservoir Number 1
- Seymour Reservoir Number 2
- Reservoir Number 2
- Seymour Reservoir Number 4
Paddle runs
- Begins Downstream Of The Borough Of Bantam, At Stoddard Road Bridge To The Confluence With The Shepaug River
- Pond Downstream Of Shepaug Reservoir Dam, Marked By Service Road Bridge To Ends In Backwaters Of Lake Lillinonah, Near Roxbury Falls
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 Bridge
- Kent Bridge To Boardman Bridge
- The Confluence With The Nepaug River To A Point 0.2 Miles Below The Lower Collinsville Dam Tailrace
- New Hartford/Canton Town Line To The Confluence With The Nepaug River
Track Swan Lake 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 Swan Lake Dam
Where does the data for Swan Lake 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 High 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 Swan Lake Dam.