Shady Lake Dam

Shady Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Tolland County, Connecticut. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

About Shady Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Shady Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Shady Lake Homeowners Association (private). It impounds the Gulf Stream.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 560 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 12/16/2024.

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Significant HazardPoor ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateConnecticut
CountyTolland
River/StreamGulf Stream
Coordinates41.98367, -72.44510

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height12 ft
Dam Height12 ft
Dam Length560 ft

Storage & Hydraulics

Surface Area4 acres
Drainage Area3 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerShady Lake Homeowners Association
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection12/16/2024
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDCT01285
Federal IDCT01285
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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