Great Brook Reservoir Dam dam
Great Brook Reservoir Dam
The Great Brook Reservoir Dam, located in Waterbury, Connecticut, was completed in 1925 and serves primarily for recreational purposes. This masonry dam stands at a height of 12 feet and has a length of 423 feet, holding a maximum storage capacity of 598 acre-feet. With a surface area of 63 acres and a drainage area of 1.34 square miles, the dam plays a crucial role in regulating water flow in the Great Brook river/stream.
Managed by the local government and regulated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Great Brook Reservoir Dam is classified as having a significant hazard potential. Despite not being rated for its condition assessment, the dam undergoes inspections every 7 years to ensure its safety and integrity. Furthermore, the dam has not had any emergency action plans prepared or updated, highlighting the importance of continued monitoring and preparedness in the face of potential risks associated with its operation.
Enthusiasts of water resources and climate will find the Great Brook Reservoir Dam an intriguing structure, given its historical significance and role in supporting recreational activities in the region. With its unique design and significant hazard potential, the dam stands as a testament to the intersection of human engineering and natural forces, underscoring the need for ongoing maintenance and monitoring to ensure the safety of surrounding communities and the integrity of the water resource system.
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 Brook Reservoir Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Naugatuck River At Thomaston | 60 cfs | → |
| Quinnipiac River At Southington | 12 cfs | → |
| Nonewaug River At Minortown | 5 cfs | → |
| Naugatuck River At Beacon Falls | 181 cfs | → |
| Weekeepeemee River At Hotchkissville | 11 cfs | → |
| Mill R Nr Hamden | 18 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Great Brook Reservoir Dam.
Boat launches
- Lake Plymouth Boulevard 191, Plymouth
- Silver Lake
- North Farms Reservoir
- Black Pond
- Batterson Park Pond
- Lake Zoar
Campgrounds
- Black Rock State Park
- Point Folly - White Memorial
- Kettletown State Park
- Windmill Hill - White Memorial
- Cozy Hill Campground
- Sr1
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 Downstream Of The Borough Of Bantam, At Stoddard Road Bridge To The Confluence With The Shepaug River
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 Bridge
- Pond Downstream Of Shepaug Reservoir Dam, Marked By Service Road Bridge To Ends In Backwaters Of Lake Lillinonah, Near Roxbury Falls
- 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
- Kent Bridge To Boardman Bridge
Track Great Brook Reservoir 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 Great Brook Reservoir Dam
Where does the data for Great Brook Reservoir 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 Great Brook Reservoir Dam.