Central Street Dam is an earth dam located in Essex County, Massachusetts, built in 1975. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 9 ft9 ft tall and 130 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 Central Street Dam
The primary purpose of Central Street Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Byfield Water District (local government). It impounds the Parker River near Newbury.
The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 130 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 14 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 100 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 24 square miles. Completed in 1975, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 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 09/26/2019.
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Location
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Essex |
| Nearest City | Newbury |
| River/Stream | Parker River |
| Coordinates | 42.75008, -70.92908 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 9 ft |
| Dam Length | 130 ft |
| Year Completed | 1975 (51 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 100 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 100 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 75 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 14 acres |
| Drainage Area | 24 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Byfield Water District |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 09/26/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MA00241 |
| Federal ID | MA00241 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |