Ballardvale Dam

About Ballardvale Dam

The primary purpose of Ballardvale Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Shawsheen River Realty Limited Partnership;shawsheen Rubber Co., Inc. (private). It impounds the Shawsheen River near Andover.

The dam stands 14 feet tall and stretches 90 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 34 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 290 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 65 square miles. Completed in 1753, the structure is one of the older dams in the region, with over a century and a half of service.

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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 11/18/2022.

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