Sunset Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, built in 1900. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 230 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 Sunset Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Sunset Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Far Hills Association, Inc. (private). It impounds the Bear Meadow, Estees Brook, Miller River near Ashburnham.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 230 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 300 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 7 square miles. Completed in 1900, the structure is over a century old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 04/17/2017.
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Location
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Nearest City | Ashburnham |
| River/Stream | Bear Meadow, Estees Brook, Miller River |
| Coordinates | 42.67639, -71.97761 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Length | 230 ft |
| Year Completed | 1900 (126 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 3,500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 3,500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,800 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 300 acres |
| Drainage Area | 7 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Far Hills Association, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 04/17/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MA00001 |
| Federal ID | MA00001 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |