Great Meadow Brook Pd dam
Great Meadow Brook Pd
Great Meadow Brook Pd, located in Voluntown, Connecticut, is a state-regulated recreational dam on the Great Meadow Brook river. With a dam height of 9.8 feet and a length of 500 feet, this earth dam provides a normal storage capacity of 73 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 20 acres. Despite not having a designated year of completion, the dam is actively monitored and inspected by the state regulatory agency, DEEP, with a hazard potential rated as significant.
Owned by the state of Connecticut, Great Meadow Brook Pd serves as a hub for outdoor recreation activities in the New London County area. Its primary purpose is for recreational use, with the dam offering opportunities for fishing, boating, and wildlife observation. The dam's spillway width of 24 feet ensures proper water flow management, and its location in a scenic natural setting makes it a popular destination for water resource and climate enthusiasts alike.
Although the dam's condition assessment is currently listed as "Not Rated," the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) was last revised in 2005 to ensure the safety and preparedness of the surrounding community in case of emergencies. With its significant hazard potential and state-regulated status, Great Meadow Brook Pd stands as a vital piece of infrastructure for both recreation and water resource management in 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 Great Meadow Brook Pd -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Wood River Near Arcadia | 38 cfs | → |
| Quinebaug River At Jewett City | 918 cfs | → |
| Nooseneck River At Nooseneck | 9 cfs | → |
| Wood River At Hope Valley | 82 cfs | → |
| Pendleton Hill Brook Near Clarks Falls | 4 cfs | → |
| Shetucket River At Taftville | 755 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Great Meadow Brook Pd.
Boat launches
- Beach Pond
- Beachdale Pond
- Glasgo Pond State Boat Launch
- Jeffrey Lane Griswold
- Butts Bridge Road Canterbury
- Lovell Lane 50, Canterbury
Campgrounds
- Dyer Woods Nudist Campgrounds
- Mystic Koa Holiday
- Highland Campground
- Camp Hoffman
- 315 - Burlingham
- Camp Watchaug (Westerly Ymca)
Fishing spots
Track Great Meadow Brook Pd 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 Great Meadow Brook Pd
Where does the data for Great Meadow Brook Pd 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 Great Meadow Brook Pd.