Benedicts Pond Dam dam
Benedicts Pond Dam
Benedicts Pond Dam, located in Vails Gate, Orange County, New York, is a privately owned structure primarily used for recreational purposes. The earth dam stands at a height of 16 feet and has a length of 300 feet, with a storage capacity of 29.3 acre-feet and a surface area of 10.6 acres. The dam, classified as significant in terms of hazard potential, was last inspected in October 2019 and assessed to be in fair condition.
Managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the dam is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by state agencies to ensure its safety and compliance with regulations. While the dam's risk assessment is categorized as moderate, with a risk rating of 3, there are no emergency action plans or inundation maps prepared for the structure. The dam does not fall under the jurisdiction of the US Army Corps of Engineers and is not associated with any federal agencies for funding or oversight.
Despite its relatively small scale, Benedicts Pond Dam serves as an important recreational feature in the area, offering opportunities for fishing, boating, and wildlife observation. As water resource and climate enthusiasts continue to monitor and assess the dam's condition and risk profile, its role in providing local recreation and water storage remains essential to the community.
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 Benedicts Pond Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| West Branch Croton River At Richardsville Ny | 4 cfs | → |
| Wallkill River At Gardiner Ny | 286 cfs | → |
| Wappinger Creek Near Wappingers Falls Ny | 120 cfs | → |
| W Br Croton River Below Dam Near Kent Cliffs Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| Muscoot River At Baldwin Place Ny | 4 cfs | → |
| Croton R @ New Croton Dam Nr Croton-On-Hudson Ny | 272 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Benedicts Pond Dam.
Boat launches
- State Highway 208 3081, Wallkill
- Market Street 114, Wappingers Falls
- Bear Mountain Bridge Road Cortlandt
- Spring Street 51, Wappingers Falls
- Hudson Avenue Peekskill
- Broadway Buchanan
Campgrounds
- Round Pond Military
- Camping For Hikers On Ballfield Graymoor Center
- Winding Hills Park
- Clarence Fahnestock State Park
- Blue Mountain Reservation
- Beaver Pond Campsite
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
Track Benedicts Pond 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 Benedicts Pond Dam
Where does the data for Benedicts Pond 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 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 Benedicts Pond Dam.