Okemo Snow Pond

About Okemo Snow Pond

The primary purpose of Okemo Snow Pond is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Okemo Mountain Inc (private). It impounds the Black River-os near Ludlow.

The dam stands 80 feet tall and stretches 250 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 504 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1994, the structure is 32 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/27/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 80 feet, this dam is taller than 97% 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.

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