Upper Somes is an earth dam located in Hancock County, Maine, built in 1900. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 183 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 Upper Somes
The primary purpose of Upper Somes is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Mount Desert (local government). It impounds the Somes Brook.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 183 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 104 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 344 acre-feet. Completed in 1900, the structure is over a century old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life.
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Location
| State | Maine |
| County | Hancock |
| River/Stream | Somes Brook |
| Coordinates | 44.36063, -68.33781 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Length | 183 ft |
| Year Completed | 1900 (126 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 344 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 344 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 275 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 104 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Hydroelectric |
| Owner | Mount Desert |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | ME00597 |
| Federal ID | ME00597 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |