WATER -- DAMS LAYER

Dams

Dams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams (NID) are displayed in this map layer.

There are 990 NID sites in the Connecticut River Watershed. More than half of these dams (553) are primarily used for recreational purposes, followed by those used primarily for water supply (131), and Hydroelectric power generation (123). There are 75 primary flood control dams in the watershed.

According to the NID, collectively water supply dams store the most water in the Connecticut River Watershed. This is dominated by the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, which serves as the primary source of drinking water for the City of Boston (Boston is located outside of the watershed).

Hydroelectric dams are found throughout the watershed on many locations along the Connecticut River and its major tributaries. Flood control / storm water drainage dam sites are mostly found on smaller drainages throughout the watershed.

In the Connecticut River Watershed Atlas, each dam is symbolized to show the primary purpose for each site. Many dam sites serve additional roles in addition to its primary purpose, as identified in the database's Purpose field.

Use the tool to find additional information about each site. The National Inventory of Dams Data Dictionary provides detailed descriptions for each element found in the NID database. For more information about the National Inventory of Dams, visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Web Site.