Lake Tavolan Dam dam
Lake Tavolan Dam
Lake Tavolan Dam, located in Salisbury, Connecticut, is a private earth dam completed in 1970 with a primary purpose of recreation. Managed by the USDA NRCS, this dam stands at 13 feet high and spans 840 feet in length, creating a reservoir with a storage capacity of 121 acre-feet. The dam is situated on Salmon Creek and is regulated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), ensuring its compliance with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement protocols.
With a spillway width of 20 feet and uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates, Lake Tavolan Dam has a significant hazard potential but is currently rated as not assessed for condition. While the dam poses moderate risk according to the risk assessment, it serves as a vital recreational resource in the area. Despite its risk level, the dam has not had an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) prepared or updated, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and maintenance to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and environment. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Lake Tavolan Dam presents an intriguing case study in dam management and risk assessment within the picturesque landscape of Litchfield County, Connecticut.
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 Lake Tavolan Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon Creek At Lime Rock | 30 cfs | → |
| Housatonic River At Falls Village | 536 cfs | → |
| Housatonic River Nr Ashley Falls | 423 cfs | → |
| Shepaug River At Peters Dam At Woodville | 22 cfs | → |
| Green River Near Great Barrington | 21 cfs | → |
| Still River At Robertsville | 50 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Tavolan Dam.
Boat launches
- Rudd Drive Town Of North East
- Twin Lakes
- Wood Creek Pond Boat Launch
- Winchester Lake
- Highland Lake
- Burr Pond
Campgrounds
- Sharon Mountain Campsite
- Belter's Campsites
- Rudd Pond - Taconic State Park
- Ball Brook Group Camping Area
- Sage's Ravine Campground
- Laurel Ridge Campsite
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
- 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
- New Hartford/Canton Town Line To The Confluence With The Nepaug River
Track Lake Tavolan 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 Lake Tavolan Dam
Where does the data for Lake Tavolan 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 Lake Tavolan Dam.