Cooley Lake dam
Cooley Lake
Cooley Lake, located in Granville, Massachusetts, is a privately owned water resource regulated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. This recreational lake is created by an earth dam on Dickinson Brook, providing a storage capacity of 550 acre-feet and a surface area of 66 acres. With a significant hazard potential and a fair condition assessment, the dam's last inspection in June 2017 revealed the need for ongoing maintenance to ensure its safety and functionality.
The dam at Cooley Lake, standing at 11 feet high with a hydraulic height of 9.8 feet, serves primarily for recreational purposes. Despite its moderate risk assessment, the dam has not been modified in recent years and lacks emergency action preparedness measures. With a spillway type of Uncontrolled and no associated locks or gates, the dam's management and maintenance remain crucial for protecting surrounding communities and the ecological health of Dickinson Brook.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts will find Cooley Lake to be a captivating site for exploring the intersection of human-made structures and natural water systems. As an important recreational area in Hampden County, Massachusetts, the dam on Cooley Lake serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between human enjoyment of water resources and the need for responsible stewardship to ensure long-term sustainability and safety.
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 Cooley Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Hubbard River Nr. West Hartland | 14 cfs | → |
| Westfield River Near Westfield | 565 cfs | → |
| Stony Brook Near West Suffield | 6 cfs | → |
| West Branch Farmington River At Riverton | 140 cfs | → |
| Still River At Robertsville | 83 cfs | → |
| West Branch Farmington River Near New Boston | 68 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cooley Lake.
Boat launches
- Howells Pond
- Main Road, Tolland
- Old Apremont Way, Westfield
- Rainbow Reservoir
- West Street 121, Springfield
- South End Bridge Agawam
Campgrounds
- Granville State Forest
- Roaring Brook Camp Area
- Primitve Camping Area
- James Stocking Youth Group Camping Area
- Haws Memorial - American Legion State Forest
- Tolland State Forest
Fishing spots
- Great Brook Reservoir
- Lower Fulton Park Pond
- Lake Quassapaug
- Seymour Reservoir Number 4
- Reservoir Number 2
- Papermill Pond
Paddle runs
- 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
- The Confluence Of The East And West Branches To The Confluence With The Farmington River In East Granby
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Rainbow Dam To The Confluence With The Connecticut River
- New Hartford/Canton Town Line To The Confluence With The Nepaug River
- The Confluence With The Nepaug River To A Point 0.2 Miles Below The Lower Collinsville Dam Tailrace
Track Cooley Lake 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 Cooley Lake
Where does the data for Cooley Lake 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 Cooley Lake.