Goodwins Mills dam
Goodwins Mills
Goodwins Mills, located in York, Maine, is a privately owned dam on the Swan River that serves multiple purposes, including fire protection and creating a small fish pond. Built in 1890, this stone dam stands at a height of 12 feet and has a storage capacity of 60 acre-feet. With a normal storage level of 54 acre-feet and a surface area of 5 acres, Goodwins Mills plays a crucial role in water resource management in the area.
Maintained and regulated by the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Goodwins Mills has a low hazard potential and has not been rated for its condition assessment. The dam has a spillway width of 20 feet and is inspected every 12 years to ensure its structural integrity. Despite its age, Goodwins Mills continues to provide essential water storage and fire protection services to the community of Dayton, showcasing the importance of sustainable water resource management in the face of changing climate conditions.
With its historical significance dating back over a century, Goodwins Mills represents a testament to the ingenuity of early water resource management practices in Maine. As climate change continues to impact water availability and quality, the preservation and maintenance of dams like Goodwins Mills are crucial for ensuring the resilience of local communities and ecosystems in the face of environmental 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 Goodwins Mills -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Mousam River Near West Kennebunk | 267 cfs | → |
| Presumpscot River At Westbrook | -999,999 cfs | → |
| Saco River At Cornish | 7,900 cfs | → |
| Cocheco River Near Rochester | 117 cfs | → |
| Isinglass R At Rochester Neck Rd | 66 cfs | → |
| Oyster River Near Durham | 13 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Goodwins Mills.
Boat launches
- Landing Road 8, Buxton
- Main Street 550, Biddeford
- Marblehead Boat Launch
- Bay Avenue 5, Saco
- Lester B Orcutt Boulevard 1, Biddeford
- Pier Road 81, Kennebunkport
Campgrounds
- Ferry Beach Campground
- Wild Duck Campground & Rv Park
- Bayley's Camping Resort
- Goodwins Lodge
- Goodwins Lodge Cabin 6
- Migis Lodge
Paddle runs
More reservoirs
Track Goodwins Mills 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 Goodwins Mills
Where does the data for Goodwins Mills 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 Goodwins Mills.