Long Pond Dam dam
Long Pond Dam
Long Pond Dam in Blandford, Massachusetts, stands as a critical structure for water supply, completed in 2006 with a primary purpose of water supply. The dam, constructed as an Earth type with a height of 8 feet and a hydraulic height of 5.6 feet, serves to regulate the flow of Wheeler Brook. With a storage capacity of 697 acre-feet and a normal storage level of 480 acre-feet, the dam covers a surface area of 87 acres within a drainage area of 0.76 square miles.
Managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Massachusetts, Long Pond Dam is subject to state regulation, inspection, and enforcement to ensure its structural integrity and safe operation. The dam is considered to have a significant hazard potential, but its condition was assessed as satisfactory during the last inspection in November 2016. While the risk assessment categorizes the dam as moderate, further details on risk management measures and emergency preparedness are yet to be provided. Overall, Long Pond Dam plays a crucial role in water resource management in the region, standing as a testament to the importance of sustainable infrastructure for climate resilience.
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 Long Pond Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| West Branch Westfield River At Huntington | 68 cfs | → |
| Middle B Westfield River At Goss Heights | 8 cfs | → |
| Westfield River At Knightville | 159 cfs | → |
| West Branch Farmington River Near New Boston | 52 cfs | → |
| Hubbard River Nr. West Hartland | 9 cfs | → |
| Still River At Robertsville | 70 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Long Pond Dam.
Boat launches
- Main Road, Tolland
- Highway 8 2301-2357, Becket
- Howells Pond
- Laurel Street 515, Lee
- Old Apremont Way, Westfield
- Wood Creek Pond Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Tolland State Forest
- Chester - Blanford State Forest
- Green Point
- Rocky Point
- Granville State Forest
- Shaker Camp
Fishing spots
- Great Brook Reservoir
- Lower Fulton Park Pond
- Lake Quassapaug
- Seymour Reservoir Number 4
- Papermill Pond
- Reservoir Number 2
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 Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
- The Confluence Of The East And West Branches To The Confluence With The Farmington River In East Granby
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
- New Hartford/Canton Town Line To The Confluence With The Nepaug River
Track Long 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 Long Pond Dam
Where does the data for Long 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 Long Pond Dam.