Smith + Sayles Reservoir

About Smith + Sayles Reservoir

The primary purpose of Smith + Sayles Reservoir is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Sand Dam Reservoir Association (private). It impounds the Chepachet River near Glocester.

The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 980 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 175 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,450 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 1865, 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.

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