List of dam removals in Connecticut

The 2016 removal of the Norton Paper Mill Dam from the Jeremy River in Colchester.

This is a list of dams in Connecticut that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.

Removals by watershed

Farmington River

The Spoonville Dam was a hydropower dam on the Farmington River that had partially washed out in 1955, forcing the water to flow rapidly through a narrow notch. The dam was removed in 2012 to improve boat safety and to allow fish to swim upstream to spawn.^[1]

Housatonic River

Roraback Pond Dam was a 510-foot (160 m) long earthen dam owned by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection impounding a 0.83-acre (0.34 ha) pond on a tributary to Leadmine Brook, itself a tributary of the Housatonic River. The dam was in severe disrepair and was breached in 2021 to remove maintenance and liability concerns, as well as for stream restoration.^[2]

Completed removals

Dam^[3]	Height	Year removed	Location	Watercourse	Watershed
Unnamed dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	1993		Bradley Brook
Muddy Pond Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	1992		Muddy Brook
Little Pond Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	1994		Tributary to Bigelow Creek
Spoonville Dam^[1]	25 ft (7.6 m)	2012	East Granby 41°54′04″N 72°45′24″W / 41.9012°N 72.7568°W / 41.9012; -72.7568 (Spoonville Dam)	Farmington River	Farmington River
Lower Pond Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	1991	Wolcott 41°38′02″N 72°57′40″W / 41.634°N 72.9611°W / 41.634; -72.9611 (Lower Pond Dam)	Cedar Swamp Brook	Housatonic River
Old Papermill Pond Dam	9.8 ft (3.0 m)	2019	New Milford 41°36′28″N 73°24′43″W / 41.6079°N 73.4119°W / 41.6079; -73.4119 (Old Papermill Pond Dam)	East Aspetuck River
Roraback Pond Dam^[2]	14.3 ft (4.4 m)	2021	Harwinton 41°43′44″N 73°03′08″W / 41.7289°N 73.0521°W / 41.7289; -73.0521 (Roraback Pond Dam)	Tributary to Leadmine Brook
John Dee's Dam	17 ft (5.2 m)		Waterbury 41°33′01″N 73°01′26″W / 41.5503°N 73.024°W / 41.5503; -73.024 (John Dee's Dam)	Mad River
Century Brass Dam		2016	Waterbury 41°32′20″N 73°00′53″W / 41.539°N 73.0146°W / 41.539; -73.0146 (Century Brass Dam)	Mad River
Union City Dam	16 ft (4.9 m)	1999	Naugatuck 41°29′45″N 73°03′11″W / 41.4959°N 73.053°W / 41.4959; -73.053 (Union City Dam)	Naugatuck River
Anaconda Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	1999	Waterbury 41°34′21″N 73°03′12″W / 41.5724°N 73.0533°W / 41.5724; -73.0533 (Anaconda Dam)
Freight Street Dam	2 ft (0.61 m)	1999	Waterbury 41°33′13″N 73°03′09″W / 41.5535°N 73.0525°W / 41.5535; -73.0525 (Freight Street Dam)
Platts Mill Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	1999	Waterbury 41°31′10″N 73°03′05″W / 41.5195°N 73.0513°W / 41.5195; -73.0513 (Platts Mill Dam)
Chase Brass Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2004	Watertown 41°35′54″N 73°03′38″W / 41.5984°N 73.0605°W / 41.5984; -73.0605 (Chase Brass Dam)
Heminway Pond Dam	14 ft (4.3 m)	2018	Watertown	Steele Brook
Blackledge River Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	2018	Glastonbury	Blackledge River	Lower Connecticut River
Ed Bills Pond Dam^[4]	11 ft (3.4 m)	2015	Lyme 41°25′36″N 72°19′54″W / 41.4268°N 72.3318°W / 41.4268; -72.3318 (Ed Bills Pond Dam)	East Branch Eightmile River
Zemko Dam	5 ft (1.5 m)	2007	Salem 41°29′38″N 72°17′00″W / 41.494°N 72.2834°W / 41.494; -72.2834 (Zemko Dam)	East Branch Eightmile River
Pizzini Dam	4.5 ft (1.4 m)	2005	East Haddam 41°26′01″N 72°20′06″W / 41.4336°N 72.335°W / 41.4336; -72.335 (Pizzini Dam)	Eightmile River
Norton Paper Mill Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)	2016	Colchester 41°34′49″N 72°24′06″W / 41.5802°N 72.4017°W / 41.5802; -72.4017 (Norton Paper Mill Dam)	Jeremy River
Raymond Brook Pond Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2007	Amston 41°36′54″N 72°22′04″W / 41.6149°N 72.3678°W / 41.6149; -72.3678 (Raymond Brook Pond Dam)	Raymond Brook
Slocomb Pond Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2020	Glastonbury 41°39′49″N 72°34′46″W / 41.6635°N 72.5794°W / 41.6635; -72.5794 (Slocomb Pond Dam)	Roaring Brook
Scantic River Dam (Springborn Dam)	26 ft (7.9 m)	2017	Hazardville 41°58′59″N 72°31′07″W / 41.9831°N 72.5185°W / 41.9831; -72.5185	Scantic River
Karp Family Dam		2015	Suffield 41°57′44″N 72°37′50″W / 41.9622°N 72.6305°W / 41.9622; -72.6305 (Karp Family Dam)	Stony Brook
Indian Lake Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	1994	Clinton 41°17′13″N 72°31′33″W / 41.2869°N 72.5257°W / 41.2869; -72.5257 (Indian Lake Dam)	Indian River	Indian River
Hyde Pond	4.8 ft (1.5 m)	2015	Stonington and Groton 41°23′48″N 71°57′34″W / 41.3966°N 71.9594°W / 41.3966; -71.9594 (Hyde Pond)	Whitford Brook	Mystic River
Flock Process Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2018	Norwalk 41°08′23″N 73°25′37″W / 41.1398°N 73.4269°W / 41.1398; -73.4269 (Flock Process Dam)	Norwalk River	Norwalk River
White Rock Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2015	Stonington 41°24′21″N 71°50′36″W / 41.4059°N 71.8434°W / 41.4059; -71.8434 (White Rock Dam)	Pawcatuck River	Pawcatuck River
Murphy Dam		2009	Putnam 41°54′55″N 71°55′02″W / 41.9153°N 71.9173°W / 41.9153; -71.9173 (Murphy Dam)	Little River	Quinebaug River
Sprucedale Water Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	1980	Woodstock 41°56′06″N 71°58′46″W / 41.9349°N 71.9795°W / 41.9349; -71.9795 (Sprucedale Water Dam)	Mill Brook
Moosup Dam #1	6 ft (1.8 m)	2014	Plainfield 41°43′03″N 71°54′04″W / 41.7176°N 71.9012°W / 41.7176; -71.9012 (Moosup Dam #1)	Moosup River
Griswold Rubber Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2015	Plainfield 41°42′57″N 71°52′42″W / 41.7159°N 71.8784°W / 41.7159; -71.8784 (Griswold Rubber Dam)
Brunswick Mill #1 Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2017	Plainfield 41°43′03″N 71°51′40″W / 41.7176°N 71.861°W / 41.7176; -71.861 (Brunswick Mill #1 Dam)
Carpenter Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2016	Meriden and Cheshire 41°31′38″N 72°51′26″W / 41.5273°N 72.8571°W / 41.5273; -72.8571 (Carpenter Dam)	Quinnipiac River	Quinnipiac River
Clark Brothers Dam	5 ft (1.5 m)	2016	Southington 41°34′16″N 72°53′48″W / 41.571°N 72.8967°W / 41.571; -72.8967 (Clark Brothers Dam)	Quinnipiac River
Woodings Pond Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	1971	Wallingford 41°28′29″N 72°49′52″W / 41.4746°N 72.8312°W / 41.4746; -72.8312 (Woodings Pond Dam)	Tributary to Quinnipiac River
Simpson's Pond Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	1995	Wallingford 41°27′04″N 72°48′34″W / 41.4512°N 72.8094°W / 41.4512; -72.8094 (Simpson's Pond Dam)	Wharton Brook
Main Street Dam	9.3 ft (2.8 m)	2010	Stamford 41°03′11″N 73°32′45″W / 41.053°N 73.5457°W / 41.053; -73.5457 (Main Street Dam)	Rippowam River	Rippowam River
Frankel Dams	6 ft (1.8 m)	2011	Westport 41°11′03″N 73°20′50″W / 41.1843°N 73.3471°W / 41.1843; -73.3471 (Frankel Dams)	Aspetuck River	Saugatuck River
Post Office Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2019	Sprague 41°37′00″N 72°05′05″W / 41.6167°N 72.0848°W / 41.6167; -72.0848 (Post Office Dam)	Beaver Brook	Shetucket River
Baltic Mills Dam	26 ft (7.9 m)	1938	Baltic 41°37′03″N 72°05′05″W / 41.6175°N 72.0848°W / 41.6175; -72.0848 (Baltic Mills Dam)	Shetucket River
Talbot Wildlife Management Area Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2015	Scotland	Merrick Branch
Picker Pond Dam	28 ft (8.5 m)	2021	Montville 41°26′39″N 72°07′15″W / 41.4442°N 72.1208°W / 41.4442; -72.1208 (Picker Pond Dam)	Oxoboxo River	Thames River
Uncasville Mill Dam		2020	Montville 41°26′14″N 72°06′35″W / 41.4372°N 72.1097°W / 41.4372; -72.1097 (Uncasville Mill Dam)	Oxoboxo River	Thames River
Rutan Dam	9 ft (2.7 m)	2012	Stonington 41°22′04″N 71°51′55″W / 41.3677°N 71.8652°W / 41.3677; -71.8652 (Rutan Dam)	Anguilla Brook	Wequetequock Cove
Pond Lily Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2015	New Haven 41°20′08″N 72°58′32″W / 41.3355°N 72.9756°W / 41.3355; -72.9756 (Pond Lily Dam)	West River	West River

References

1 2 Cohen, Jeff (July 11, 2012). "On The Farmington River, A Dam Comes Down". Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
1 2 "Notice of Scoping for Roraback Pond Dam Removal". CT.gov. Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality. January 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
↑ Rivers, American (February 13, 2023). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v10. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
↑ Ahrens, Jennifer (June 5, 2023). "8 years after a dam was removed, nature has reclaimed large parts of the Eightmile River in Lyme". Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

External links

Media related to Removed dams in Connecticut at Wikimedia Commons

[cohen-2012-1] 1 2 Cohen, Jeff (July 11, 2012). "On The Farmington River, A Dam Comes Down". Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

[roraback-2018-2] 1 2 "Notice of Scoping for Roraback Pond Dam Removal". CT.gov. Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality. January 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

[ardrd-3] Rivers, American (February 13, 2023). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v10. Retrieved August 25, 2023.

[4] Ahrens, Jennifer (June 5, 2023). "8 years after a dam was removed, nature has reclaimed large parts of the Eightmile River in Lyme". Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

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Lists of dam removals in the United States
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