Spooner dam
Spooner
Spooner is a historic hydroelectric dam located on the Housatonic River in Gaylordsville, Connecticut. Built in 1902, this rockfill dam stands at 17 feet in height and spans 156 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 400 acre-feet. The dam serves multiple purposes, including hydroelectric power generation and recreation, with a maximum discharge capability of 10,900 cubic feet per second.
Managed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Spooner Dam has a low hazard potential and is not currently regulated by the state. Despite its age, the dam's condition assessment is not available, and it undergoes inspections every three years to ensure its structural integrity. With a spillway width of 131 feet and a drainage area of 784 square miles, Spooner plays a crucial role in water resource management and climate resilience efforts in the Litchfield County region.
Although its emergency action plan was last revised in 2012, Spooner Dam continues to meet safety guidelines and remains a key component of the region's risk management measures. With its moderate risk assessment rating, efforts are ongoing to ensure the dam's continued safe operation and to address any potential risks associated with its structure. As a significant water resource infrastructure in the area, Spooner Dam underscores the importance of sustainable water management practices and the integration of climate considerations in infrastructure planning.
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 Spooner -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tenmile River Near Gaylordsville | 170 cfs | → |
| Housatonic River At Gaylordsville | 953 cfs | → |
| Shepaug River At Peters Dam At Woodville | 22 cfs | → |
| Still River At Route 7 At Brookfield Center | 54 cfs | → |
| East Branch Croton River Near Putnam Lake Ny | 30 cfs | → |
| Horse Pound Brook Near Lake Carmel Ny | 2 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Spooner .
Boat launches
- South Kent Road Kent
- Grove Street 251, New Milford
- Squantz Pond
- Old Bogus Road 4, New Fairfield
- Lake Lillinonah
- Candlewood Lake (Lattins Cove)
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Kent Bridge To Boardman Bridge
- Pond Downstream Of Shepaug Reservoir Dam, Marked By Service Road Bridge To Ends In Backwaters Of Lake Lillinonah, Near Roxbury Falls
- Begins Downstream Of The Borough Of Bantam, At Stoddard Road Bridge To The Confluence With The Shepaug River
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 Bridge
Track Spooner 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 Spooner
Where does the data for Spooner 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 Low 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 Spooner .