West Branch Dam dam
West Branch Dam
West Branch Dam, also known as Carmel Dam, is a crucial water supply infrastructure located in Crafts, Putnam County, New York. Completed in 1895, this earth-type dam stands at 85 feet high and spans 1,795 feet across the West Branch Croton River. With a storage capacity of 42,300 acre-feet and a drainage area of 42.87 square miles, the dam plays a vital role in supplying water to the surrounding region.
Maintained and regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, West Branch Dam is considered to have a high hazard potential due to its location and size. Despite this, the dam has been assessed to be in satisfactory condition as of December 2016, with regular inspections and emergency action plans in place to ensure safety. With a maximum discharge capacity of 36,000 cubic feet per second and a controlled spillway width of 260 feet, the dam is well-equipped to manage water flow and mitigate potential risks.
As a key water supply infrastructure in the region, West Branch Dam serves as a critical resource for the community while also posing challenges in terms of risk management and maintenance. With a history dating back over a century, the dam continues to play a significant role in water resource management and climate resilience efforts in the area, underlining the importance of sustainable infrastructure development in the face of changing environmental conditions.
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 West Branch Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| West Branch Croton River Near Carmel Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| W Br Croton River Below Dam Near Kent Cliffs Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| East Branch Croton River Near Croton Falls Ny | 46 cfs | → |
| West Branch Croton River Near Croton Falls Ny | 26 cfs | → |
| Horse Pound Brook Near Lake Carmel Ny | 2 cfs | → |
| East Branch Croton River At Brewster Ny | 45 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near West Branch Dam.
Boat launches
- Lake Kenosia
- Danbury Boat Launch
- Squantz Pond
- Old Bogus Road 4, New Fairfield
- Candlewood Lake (Lattins Cove)
- Bear Mountain Bridge Road Cortlandt
Campgrounds
- Clarence Fahnestock State Park
- Mountain Lakes Park
- Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
- Camping For Hikers On Ballfield Graymoor Center
- Blue Mountain Reservation
- Youth Camp I
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Kent Bridge To Boardman Bridge
- Pond Downstream Of Shepaug Reservoir Dam, Marked By Service Road Bridge To Ends In Backwaters Of Lake Lillinonah, Near Roxbury Falls
- Begins Downstream Of The Borough Of Bantam, At Stoddard Road Bridge To The Confluence With The Shepaug River
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 Bridge
Track West Branch 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 West Branch Dam
Where does the data for West Branch 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 West Branch Dam.