Ashfield Lake Dam

About Ashfield Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Ashfield Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Town Of Ashfield (local government). It impounds the South River near Ashfield.

The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 775 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 37 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 501 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1897, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/18/2023.

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

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