Contoocook Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, built in 1885. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 7 ft7 ft tall and 400 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 Contoocook Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Contoocook Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Town of Jaffrey (local government). It impounds the Contoocook River near Jaffrey.
The dam stands 7 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 443 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,726 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 15 square miles. Completed in 1885, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 10/28/2020.
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Location
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Cheshire |
| Nearest City | Jaffrey |
| River/Stream | Contoocook River |
| Coordinates | 42.80129, -72.02771 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Length | 400 ft |
| Year Completed | 1885 (141 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,726 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,726 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,548 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 443 acres |
| Drainage Area | 15 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,256 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Town of Jaffrey |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/28/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NH00098 |
| Federal ID | NH00098 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |