Wakefield Pond
Wakefield Pond is an earth dam located in Washington County, Rhode Island. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Wakefield Pond
Wakefield Pond is a dam in Washington, Rhode Island. The dam is owned by South Kingstown, Town Of (local government). It impounds the Saugatucket River near South Kingstown.
The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 100 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 35 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 16 square miles.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/04/2010. That was 15 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Rhode Island dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Washington |
| Nearest City | South Kingstown |
| River/Stream | Saugatucket River |
| Coordinates | 41.43734, -71.50143 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 9 ft |
| Dam Height | 9 ft |
| Dam Length | 100 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 35 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 35 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 20 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Drainage Area | 16 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,060 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | SOUTH KINGSTOWN, TOWN OF |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 06/04/2010 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | RI04335 |
| Federal ID | RI04335 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |