Porter Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Hampden County, Massachusetts, built in 1919. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 24 ft24 ft tall and 450 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 Porter Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Porter Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City of Springfield (local government). It impounds the Pecousic River near Springfield.
The dam stands 24 feet tall and stretches 450 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 30 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 450 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1919, the structure is over a century old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 07/31/2020.
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Location
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Hampden |
| Nearest City | Springfield |
| River/Stream | Pecousic River |
| Coordinates | 42.07373, -72.56936 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 24 ft |
| Dam Length | 450 ft |
| Year Completed | 1919 (107 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 450 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 450 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 180 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 30 acres |
| Drainage Area | 6 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Springfield |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 07/31/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MA00568 |
| Federal ID | MA00568 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |