Shad Factory Pond Dam

About Shad Factory Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Shad Factory Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Bristol County Water Authority (local government). It impounds the Palmer River near Rehoboth.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 25 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 440 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 31 square miles. Completed in 1911, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/12/2023.

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