Lake Gardner Dam dam
Lake Gardner Dam
Lake Gardner Dam, located in Amesbury, Massachusetts, stands as a crucial structure along the Pow-Wow River, with a primary purpose of providing recreational opportunities for locals and visitors. Built in 1872, this earth dam reaches a height of 25 feet and stretches 845 feet in length, creating a reservoir with a normal storage capacity of 1200 acre-feet. The dam's hazard potential is classified as high, but its condition assessment in 2016 deemed it satisfactory, highlighting the efforts of the Department of Conservation and Recreation in ensuring its safety.
With a drainage area of 50.2 square miles, Lake Gardner Dam serves an important role in managing water resources in the region, with a maximum storage capacity of 1500 acre-feet. Despite its age, the dam has undergone regular inspections and is regulated by the state, with enforcement and permitting processes in place to maintain its integrity. The structure's risk assessment is moderate, indicating a need for ongoing monitoring and risk management measures to safeguard against potential hazards and ensure the safety of surrounding communities.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Lake Gardner Dam offers a fascinating case study in dam management and regulation. As a locally-owned structure, its significance extends beyond recreation to include water supply and flood control functions. The dam's history, design characteristics, and risk profile provide valuable insights into the complexities of balancing human needs with environmental considerations in the management of water resources and infrastructure.
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 Lake Gardner Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Parker River At Byfield | 9 cfs | → |
| Exeter River At Haigh Road | 52 cfs | → |
| Winnicut River At Greenland | 17 cfs | → |
| Ipswich River Near Ipswich | 72 cfs | → |
| Spicket River At North Salem | 0 cfs | → |
| Spicket River Near Methuen | 16 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Gardner Dam.
Boat launches
- Attitash Avenue 39, Merrimac
- Water Street 208, Newburyport
- Hampton Falls River Boat Launch
- Country Pond Boat Launch
- Nancy Street 8, Plum Island
- Newburyport Turnpike 290-304, Newbury
Campgrounds
- Salisbury State Park Reservation
- Tidewater Campground
- Windham Town Forest Tent Platforms
- Remote Campsite
- Camp Evergreen
- Old Stage Campground
Paddle runs
Track Lake Gardner 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 Lake Gardner Dam
Where does the data for Lake Gardner 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 Lake Gardner Dam.