Cooks Dam
Cooks Dam is a stone dam located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Cooks Dam
The primary purpose of Cooks Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City Of Northampton (local government). It impounds the Mill River near Northampton.
The dam stands 32 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 48 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 48 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 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 05/18/2022.
At 32 feet, this dam is taller than 76% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Hampshire |
| Nearest City | Northampton |
| River/Stream | Mill River |
| Coordinates | 42.34770, -72.70070 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Stone |
| NID Height | 32 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 48 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 48 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 48 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3 acres |
| Drainage Area | 48 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 3,850 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Northampton |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 05/18/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MA00756 |
| Federal ID | MA00756 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |