Union Pond Dam

About Union Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Union Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Town Of Manchester (local government). It impounds the Hockanum River near Manchester.

The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 590 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 51 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 720 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 53 square miles. Completed in 1901, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/31/2021.

At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% of dams nationwide.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Connecticut dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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