Falls Mill Upper Dam is a masonry dam located in New London County, Connecticut, built in 1910. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 10 ft10 ft tall and 75 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Falls Mill Upper Dam
The primary purpose of Falls Mill Upper 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 Norwich (local government). It impounds the Yantic River near Norwich.
The dam stands 10 feet tall and stretches 75 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 72 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 97 square miles. Completed in 1910, the structure is over a century old.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam.
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Location
| State | Connecticut |
| County | New London |
| Nearest City | Norwich |
| River/Stream | Yantic River |
| Coordinates | 41.53439, -72.09165 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Masonry |
| NID Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Length | 75 ft |
| Year Completed | 1910 (116 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 72 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 72 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 72 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 8 acres |
| Drainage Area | 97 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,480 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Norwich |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CT00575 |
| Federal ID | CT00575 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |