Hoague - Sprague dam
Hoague - Sprague
Hoague - Sprague is a private hydroelectric dam located in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, along the Contoocook River. Built in 1906, this timber crib dam stands at a height of 14 feet and has a length of 350 feet, with a storage capacity of 26 acre-feet. The dam's primary purposes include hydroelectric power generation, fire protection, and maintaining a stock or small fish pond.
Managed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Dam Bureau, Hoague - Sprague is subject to state regulation, inspection, and enforcement. The dam is also federally regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees its operations and inspections. With a spillway type of "Uncontrolled" and a significant hazard potential, the dam poses moderate risk, requiring risk management measures to ensure public safety and environmental protection.
Despite its age, Hoague - Sprague continues to play a vital role in water resource management and renewable energy production in the region. The dam's historical significance, combined with its modern regulatory oversight, highlights the importance of balancing water resource utilization with environmental protection in the face of evolving climate 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 Hoague - Sprague -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Contoocook R Bl Hopkinton Dam At W Hopkinton | 1,080 cfs | → |
| Warner River At Davisville | 405 cfs | → |
| Contoocook River Near Henniker | 782 cfs | → |
| Blackwater River Near Webster | 19 cfs | → |
| Piscataquog River Bl Everett Dam | 8 cfs | → |
| South Branch Piscataquog River Near Goffstown | 143 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Hoague - Sprague .
Boat launches
- Maple Street Hopkinton
- French Pond Boat Launch
- Hopkinton-Everett Reservoir Boat Launch
- Hopkinton
- Clement Pond Boat Launch
Campgrounds
Paddle runs
- Sewall's Island To Manchester Street Bridge
- Begins In Franklin To Sewall's Island
- Thornton Railroad Bridge To Bridgewater/Bristol Town Line
- First Bridge Upstream On Route 100 To Confluence With West River
- Headwaters To First Bridge Upstream On Route 100
- Woodstock/Thornton Town Line To Thornton Railroad Bridge
Track Hoague - Sprague 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 Hoague - Sprague
Where does the data for Hoague - Sprague 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 Hoague - Sprague .