Lake Garda Dam

Lake Garda Dam is an earth dam located in Hartford County, Connecticut, built in 1930. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

Hazard potentialSignificantFailure could cause major damage
ConditionSatisfactoryBest of 4 ratings
Emergency action planOn file
Last inspection11/09/2020
Height17 ft
Built193096 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 17 ft
17 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

17 ft tall and 300 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.

About Lake Garda Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Garda Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Lake Garda Improvement Association (private). It impounds the Unionville Brook near Unionville.

The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 42 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 293 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1930, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/09/2020.

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Location

StateConnecticut
CountyHartford
Nearest CityUnionville
River/StreamUnionville Brook
Coordinates41.74446, -72.90018

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height17 ft
Dam Height17 ft
Dam Length300 ft
Year Completed1930 (96 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage293 acre-ft
Max Storage293 acre-ft
Normal Storage173 acre-ft
Surface Area42 acres
Drainage Area2 sq mi
Max Discharge463 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerLake Garda Improvement Association
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection11/09/2020
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDCT00264
Federal IDCT00264
More InfoState Dam Safety Program