Pachaug Pond Dam

About Pachaug Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Pachaug Pond Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Connecticut Deep (state). It impounds the Pachaug River near Jewett City.

The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 770 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 830 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 10,962 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 52 square miles. Completed in 1888, 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 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 05/26/2015. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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

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