Downing Pond Dam is a concrete dam located in Strafford County, New Hampshire, built in 1921. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 15 ft15 ft tall and 80 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Downing Pond Dam
The primary purpose of Downing Pond 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 New Durham (local government). It impounds the Merrymeeting River near New Durham.
The dam stands 15 feet tall and stretches 80 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 50 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 17 square miles. Completed in 1921, 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 05/10/2022.
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Location
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Strafford |
| Nearest City | New Durham |
| River/Stream | Merrymeeting River |
| Coordinates | 43.43769, -71.17226 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Length | 80 ft |
| Year Completed | 1921 (105 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 300 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 300 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 200 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 50 acres |
| Drainage Area | 17 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,450 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Town of New Durham |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 05/10/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NH00346 |
| Federal ID | NH00346 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |