Bleachery Dam dam
Bleachery Dam
Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the Bleachery Dam is a gravity dam built in 1900 on the Charles River, serving as a vital flood risk reduction structure in the area. With a height of 7.5 feet and a storage capacity of 115 acre-feet, the dam plays a crucial role in managing water flow and protecting the surrounding communities from potential flooding events. The dam is under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Massachusetts, ensuring its proper inspection, enforcement, and permitting to uphold safety standards.
Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, the Bleachery Dam poses a moderate risk due to its age and potential vulnerabilities. With a drainage area of 262 square miles and a normal storage capacity of 60 acre-feet, the dam plays a key role in water resource management and environmental conservation efforts in the region. Regular inspections are conducted to monitor the dam's structural integrity and ensure its effectiveness in flood control, highlighting the importance of ongoing maintenance and risk management measures to mitigate potential hazards.
As climate change continues to impact water resources and weather patterns, structures like the Bleachery Dam become even more essential in safeguarding communities against the increasing risks of flooding. By leveraging modern technology and strategic planning, authorities can enhance the resilience of the dam and its surrounding areas to adapt to changing environmental conditions and protect the local ecosystem. The Bleachery Dam stands as a testament to the intersection of water resource management, climate resilience, and community safety in the face of evolving challenges.
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 Bleachery Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Charles River At Waltham | 112 cfs | → |
| Stony Brook Reservoir At Dam Near Waltham | 0 cfs | → |
| Stony Brook At Rt 20 At Waltham | 22 cfs | → |
| Hobbs Bk Below Cambridge Res Nr Kendall Green | 7 cfs | → |
| Charles River At Wellesley | 99 cfs | → |
| Hobbs Brook At Mill St Nr Lincoln | 0 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Bleachery Dam.
Boat launches
- Charles River Greenway Waltham
- Woerd Avenue 29-49, Waltham
- Pond Lane Arlington
- Reid Rotary Cambridgeport
- College Road Wellesley
- Needham Street 511, Dedham
Track Bleachery 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 Bleachery Dam
Where does the data for Bleachery 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 Low 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 Bleachery Dam.