Browning Pond Dam dam
Browning Pond Dam
Browning Pond Dam in Spencer, Massachusetts, is a privately owned earth dam with a primary purpose of recreation. The dam, located on the Sevenmile River, stands at a height of 8 feet and has a length of 503 feet, providing a storage capacity of 264 acre-feet. The dam's hazard potential is deemed significant, but its condition assessment is fair as of the last inspection in May 2015.
Despite being privately owned, Browning Pond Dam falls under state regulation by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Massachusetts. The dam is regularly inspected, permitted, and enforced by the state regulatory agency. While the risk assessment for the dam is moderate, with a risk level of 3, there are currently no specific risk management measures in place. With its picturesque location and recreational purpose, Browning Pond Dam serves as an important water resource for the community, highlighting the intersection of water management and climate resilience in the region.
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 Browning Pond Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Sevenmile River Near Spencer | 16 cfs | → |
| Ware River At Intake Works Near Barre | 139 cfs | → |
| Ware River Near Barre | 91 cfs | → |
| Quinapoxet River At Canada Mills Near Holden | 27 cfs | → |
| Stillwater River Near Sterling | 22 cfs | → |
| East Branch Swift River Near Hardwick | 74 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Browning Pond Dam.
Boat launches
- Overlook Drive 16-18, Spencer
- Shore Road 83, North Brookfield
- Quaboag Street 131-199, Brookfield
- Hardwick Road, Hardwick
- Cottage Street 2-38, West Brookfield
- South Pond Road 143, Brookfield
Campgrounds
- Federated Womens' Club State Forest Primitive Campsite
- Beaman Pond Campground
- Otter River State Forest
- East Dennison Camping Area
- Lake Dennison State Park
- North Dennison Camping Area
Paddle runs
- 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 Massachusetts-Connecticut State Line In Hartland To The Confluence With The Salmon Brook Main Stem
- The Hartland Headwaters To The Confluence With The Salmon Brook Main Stem
Track Browning Pond 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 Browning Pond Dam
Where does the data for Browning Pond 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 Browning Pond Dam.