Watertown Dam

Watertown Dam

Watertown Dam from the south bank of the Charles River
Location Watertown, Massachusetts
Opening date 1900
Dam and spillways
Length 220 feet (67 m)
Impounds Charles River
Reservoir
Capacity 30 acre·ft (37,000 m3)
Catchment area 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2)

The Watertown Dam spans the Charles River 980 feet (300 m) upstream from the Watertown Bridge near Watertown Square in the Town of Watertown, Massachusetts where the Charles River tidal estuary ends. Watertown Dam is of earthen construction, a gravity dam. Its length is 220 feet (67 m). Its capacity is 30 acre feet (37,000 m3). Normal storage is 20 acre feet (25,000 m3). It drains an area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2).

The history of the dam traces back to 1632 when construction of a fish weir was authorized. The current dam, maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, dates from 1900. It is part of the Upper Charles River Reservation.[1]

References

  1. ^ Haglund, Karl (2003). "12" (Google Books). Inventing the Charles River. Boston: MIT Press. pp. 424–425. ISBN 9780262083072. http://books.google.com/books?id=HA79Wz6-Or0C. Retrieved 2008-09-28. "A fish weir was authorized by the General Court in 1632 at the falls two miles north of Roger Clapp's 1630 landing site, the upper reach of the Charles River tidal basin."