Norford Lake is an earth dam located in Orange County, Vermont, built in 1925. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 16 ft16 ft tall and 309 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 Norford Lake
The primary purpose of Norford Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Norford Lake Club, Inc. (private). It impounds the Avery Brook-tr near Thetford.
The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 309 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 18 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 130 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1925, 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 10/02/1980. That was over 46 years ago.
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Location
| State | Vermont |
| County | Orange |
| Nearest City | Thetford |
| River/Stream | Avery Brook-tr |
| Coordinates | 43.80032, -72.30149 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Length | 309 ft |
| Year Completed | 1925 (101 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 130 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 130 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 18 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Norford Lake Club, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/02/1980 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VT00264 |
| Federal ID | VT00264 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |