Beaver Lake Dam is a masonry dam located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, built in 1910. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 14 ft14 ft tall and 180 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Beaver Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Beaver Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Beaver Lake Trust, Inc. (private). It impounds the Beaver Brook near Ware.
The dam stands 14 feet tall and stretches 180 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 150 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,230 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1910, 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 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 11/08/2019.
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Location
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Hampshire |
| Nearest City | Ware |
| River/Stream | Beaver Brook |
| Coordinates | 42.25106, -72.30589 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Masonry |
| NID Height | 14 ft |
| Dam Length | 180 ft |
| Year Completed | 1910 (116 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,230 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,230 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 840 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 150 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Beaver Lake Trust, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 11/08/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MA00592 |
| Federal ID | MA00592 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |