Slocum Woods dam
Slocum Woods
Slocum Woods is a private water resource located in Washington, Rhode Island, along the Chipuxet River tributary. This irrigation facility, completed in 1993, is state-regulated and subject to inspections, enforcement, and permitting by the Department of Environmental Management. Despite its critical purpose for irrigation, the dam's condition assessment is poor, with a high hazard potential, leading to concerns about its structural integrity and safety.
The dam at Slocum Woods lacks specific details on height, volume, and storage capacity, but its deteriorating condition and high hazard potential raise red flags for water resource and climate enthusiasts. The last inspection in 2014 highlighted the dam's poor state, prompting the need for vigilant monitoring and potential risk management measures. With its location in a sensitive ecosystem, any failure or breach of the dam could have significant environmental and water resource impacts on the surrounding area, emphasizing the importance of timely maintenance and assessment.
Given the critical importance of water resources and climate resilience, the condition of Slocum Woods dam warrants immediate attention and action. With a history of poor assessment and a high hazard potential, stakeholders must prioritize the maintenance and monitoring of this irrigation facility to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and ecosystem. Collaboration between state agencies, regulators, and water resource enthusiasts is essential to address the challenges posed by the deteriorating condition of Slocum Woods and prevent potential environmental disasters.
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 Slocum Woods -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Queen R At Liberty Rd At Liberty Ri | 15 cfs | → |
| Chipuxet River At West Kingston | 8 cfs | → |
| Usquepaug River Near Usquepaug | 40 cfs | → |
| Beaver River Near Usquepaug | 12 cfs | → |
| Pawcatuck River | 105 cfs | → |
| Hunt River Near East Greenwich | 22 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Slocum Woods.
Boat launches
- Barber Pond
- Indian Lake State Boat Launch
- Sandy Bottom Shores Drive Peacedale
- Fort Getty
- Tucker Pond
- Worden Pond State Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Camp Hoffman
- Camp Watchaug (Westerly Ymca)
- 315 - Burlingham
- Mystic Koa Holiday
- Dyer Woods Nudist Campgrounds
- George Washington State Campground
Fishing spots
Track Slocum Woods 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 Slocum Woods
Where does the data for Slocum Woods 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 Slocum Woods.