Chicopee Falls Dam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Chicopee Falls Dam |
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| Official name | Chicopee Falls Dam |
|---|---|
| Impounds | Chicopee River |
| Creates | Chicopee Reservoir |
| Locale | Chicopee, Massachusetts |
| Length | 300 ft (91.44 m) |
| Height | 10 ft (3.05 m) |
| Construction began | late 1800 |
| Geographical Data | |
| Coordinates | |
The Chicopee Falls Dam parallels Route 33 (Bridge Street) in Chicopee Falls. This dam is a 10-foot (3.05 m) high masonry stone dam that was constructed in the late 1800s. It is currently owned by the City of Chicopee. It impounds the waters of the Chicopee River at Chicopee Falls, to form the Chicopee Reservoir. This is the last dam on the Chicopee River before it empties into the Connecticut River just north of Springfield. This Dam is part of the Chicopee River Watershed.
[edit] Effective height
As the photographs show, flash-boards have been installed to raise the level of the impoundment above the original height of the dam. Therefore, the effective height of this dam is greater than the 10 feet (3.05 m) shown in its specifications.
[edit] Other dams
There are two other dams on this segment of the Chicopee River: Putts Bridge Dam at Route 21 between Ludlow and the Indian Orchard section of Springfield, and the Indian Orchard Dam north of Route 141 adjacent to an old mill on Front Street. The Putts Bridge Dam was constructed in 1918 as a concrete gravity structure. It rises 22 ft (6.7 m) from the bed of the Chicopee River. The Indian Orchard Dam is a cut stone dam with 28 ft (8.53 m) of height above the river. Each of these dams generate hydroelectric power.
