Colebrook Dam. Devastating floods struck this area during the Flood of 1955. Numerous lives were lost, and millions of dollars in damage occurred. Other parts of New England also experienced major flooding. As a result, Congress authorized The Flood Control Act, which allowed the federal government to assist local and state governments with serious flooding issues. A network of local protection projects resulted mainly the construction of flood control dams.

Colebrook River Dam, a multipurpose project completed in June of 1969, is located on the West Branch of the Farmington River in the Town of Colebrook, CT. It is one of 35 flood risk management projects owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New England District. Since completion, the darm has held back billions of gallons of water to help prevent loss of dollars and lives.

In addition to flood risk management, the dam also provides benefits such as boating, fishing, and natural resource conservation. It contains a 3-megawatt hydropower facility, operated by the Hartford Metropolitan District Commission. The reservoir at spillway crest can store 97,700 acre-feet, equivalent to 15.52 inches of runoff from its 118-square-mile drainage area. The maximum pool of record is 757.5 feet in Jure 1984. US Army Corps of Engineers.

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