Wayside Pond Dam
Wayside Pond Dam is an earth dam located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, built in 1964. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Wayside Pond Dam
The primary purpose of Wayside Pond Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by City Of Gardner (local government). It impounds the Mahoney Brook near Gardner.
The dam stands 8 feet tall and stretches 320 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 175 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1964, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. The most recent inspection on record was 07/24/2020.
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Location
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Nearest City | Gardner |
| River/Stream | Mahoney Brook |
| Coordinates | 42.55183, -71.96622 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Length | 320 ft |
| Year Completed | 1964 (62 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 175 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 175 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 12 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | City of Gardner |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 07/24/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MA02317 |
| Federal ID | MA02317 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |