Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam dam
Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam
The Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam, also known as South Branch Park River Site 4, is a crucial structure located in West Hartford, Connecticut. Constructed in 1966 by the USDA NRCS, this earth dam stands at 38.2 feet in height and spans 1,100 feet in length along the Trout Brook river. With a primary purpose of flood risk reduction, this dam has a storage capacity of 280 acre-feet and a maximum discharge of 536 cubic feet per second.
Managed by the State of Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Burnt Hill Dam is inspected every 2 years and has been assessed to be in satisfactory condition as of May 2015. Despite its high hazard potential, the dam meets regulatory guidelines and has a moderate risk assessment rating of 3. With an uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates, the dam serves as a vital protection measure against potential flooding events in the area, ensuring the safety of nearby communities and infrastructure.
Located in Hartford County, the Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam plays a crucial role in mitigating flood risks and managing water resources in the region. As a key component of the state's flood risk reduction strategy, this structure highlights the importance of proactive dam management and continuous monitoring to safeguard against potential hazards and ensure the resilience of the local ecosystem in the face of changing climate patterns.
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 Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| North Branch Park R At Hartford | 9 cfs | → |
| Farmington River At Unionville | 303 cfs | → |
| Hockanum River Near East Hartford | 82 cfs | → |
| Burlington Brook Near Burlington | 4 cfs | → |
| Quinnipiac River At Southington | 12 cfs | → |
| Farmington River At Tariffville | 569 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam.
Boat launches
- Batterson Park Pond
- East River Drive East Hartford
- Wilbur Cross Highway East Hartford
- Riverside Road Simsbury
- Bissell Bridge (Connecticut River)
- Farmington River Trail Collinsville
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
- Great Brook Reservoir
- Lower Fulton Park Pond
- Lake Quassapaug
- Seymour Reservoir Number 4
- Reservoir Number 2
- Seymour Reservoir Number 2
Paddle runs
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 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
- 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 Hartland Headwaters To The Confluence With The Salmon Brook Main Stem
Track Burnt Hill Flood Control 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 Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam
Where does the data for Burnt Hill Flood Control 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 Burnt Hill Flood Control Dam.