Whitney Pond Dam

About Whitney Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Whitney 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 Winchendon (local government). It impounds the Millers River near Winchendon.

The dam stands 27 feet tall and stretches 887 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 44 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,100 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 52 square miles. Completed in 1880, 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 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 11/22/2022.

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 Massachusetts dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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