Payson is an earth dam located in Orange County, Vermont, built in 1975. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 15 ft15 ft tall and 180 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 Payson
The primary purpose of Payson is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Henry Payson (private). It impounds the Ompompanoosuc River-tr near Thetford.
The dam stands 15 feet tall and stretches 180 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 20 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 90 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1975, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. 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 | Ompompanoosuc River-tr |
| Coordinates | 43.80331, -72.27651 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Height | 13 ft |
| Dam Length | 180 ft |
| Year Completed | 1975 (51 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 90 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 90 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 20 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Henry Payson |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 10/02/1980 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VT00265 |
| Federal ID | VT00265 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |