Townshend Dam is a rockfill dam located in Windham County, Vermont, built in 1961. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 126 ft126 ft tall and 1,700 ft long, taller than 98% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic rockfill embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Townshend Dam
The primary purpose of Townshend Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by USACE - New England District (federal). It impounds the West River near Townshend.
The dam stands 126 feet tall and stretches 1,700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 95 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 54,300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 278 square miles. Completed in 1961, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/06/2022.
At 126 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.
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 Vermont 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 | Vermont |
| County | Windham |
| Nearest City | Townshend |
| River/Stream | West River |
| Coordinates | 43.05192, -72.70386 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 126 ft |
| Dam Height | 126 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1961 (65 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 54,300 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 54,300 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 800 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 95 acres |
| Drainage Area | 278 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 201,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | USACE - New England District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 06/06/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VT00004 |
| Federal ID | VT00004 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |