Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam dam
Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam
The Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam, located in Waterbury, Connecticut, is a concrete structure completed in 1900 primarily for water supply purposes. Standing at a height of 31 feet and stretching 492 feet in length, this dam serves to store a maximum of 110 acre-feet of water with a normal storage capacity of 56 acre-feet. With a hazard potential classified as high and a condition assessment marked as poor, this dam is in need of attention to ensure its long-term safety and functionality.
Situated on the Mad River, this dam is under state regulation and jurisdiction, with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) responsible for permitting, inspection, and enforcement. Despite its age and structural issues, the dam continues to play a crucial role in the local water supply infrastructure, serving the community of Waterbury. With a spillway width of 60 feet and a maximum discharge capacity of 4860 cubic feet per second, the Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam remains a key feature in managing the flow of water in the area.
As efforts are made to address the dam's deteriorating condition and mitigate potential risks associated with its high hazard potential, stakeholders, including private owners and state agencies, must work together to ensure the continued safety and functionality of this vital water resource infrastructure. With its historical significance and critical role in water supply management, the Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining and monitoring our aging dam infrastructure to safeguard both public safety and the environment.
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 Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac River At Southington | 14 cfs | → |
| Naugatuck River At Beacon Falls | 222 cfs | → |
| Nonewaug River At Minortown | 6 cfs | → |
| Naugatuck River At Thomaston | 72 cfs | → |
| Mill R Nr Hamden | 18 cfs | → |
| Weekeepeemee River At Hotchkissville | 15 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam.
Boat launches
- Lake Plymouth Boulevard 191, Plymouth
- Silver Lake
- North Farms Reservoir
- Main Street Hamden
- Black Pond
- Sackett Point Road North Haven
Campgrounds
- Black Rock State Park
- Kettletown State Park
- Point Folly - White Memorial
- Windmill Hill - White Memorial
- Sr1
- Sr2
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 Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue 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 Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam
Where does the data for Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue 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 High 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 Mad River Dam Homestead Avenue Dam.