Riceville Pond Dam

Riceville Pond Dam is an earth dam located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, built in 1950. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.

About Riceville Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Riceville Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Ma Department Of Conservation & Recreation (state). It impounds the Riceville Brook near Athol.

The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 205 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 62 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,450 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 05/04/2021.

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Low HazardFair ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateMassachusetts
CountyWorcester
Nearest CityAthol
River/StreamRiceville Brook
Coordinates42.53145, -72.22384

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height13 ft
Dam Length205 ft
Year Completed1950 (76 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,450 acre-ft
Max Storage1,450 acre-ft
Normal Storage560 acre-ft
Surface Area62 acres
Drainage Area5 sq mi
Max Discharge3,160 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerMA Department of Conservation & Recreation
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentFair
Last Inspection05/04/2021
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDMA00014
Federal IDMA00014
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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