Balch Pond

About Balch Pond

The primary purpose of Balch Pond is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Acton/newfield, Towns Of (local government). It impounds the Little Ossipee.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 213 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 704 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,100 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 9 square miles. Completed in 1900, 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 11/15/2019.

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