The Chicopee Falls Dam is a masonry stone
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
that parallels
Route 33 (Bridge Street) in
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Chicopee ( ) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in western Massachuset ...
. It is part of the
Chicopee River Watershed. The dam was constructed in the late 19th century, and is owned by the City of Chicopee. It impounds the waters of the
Chicopee River
The Chicopee River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts, known for fast-moving wat ...
at Chicopee Falls, to form the Chicopee Reservoir.
This is the third-to-last dam on the Chicopee River before it empties into the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...
just north of
Springfield.
Flash-boards have been installed to raise the level of the impoundment above the original height of the dam. Therefore, the dam's effective height is greater than the shown in its specifications.
History
In 1823, Jonathan Dwight purchased the water privilege at Skenungonuck Falls in Chicopee. He built a textile mill and five years later it became second-largest operation in the state. By 1831, settlers had developed two giant dams, two waterpower canals, and two manufacturing communities along on the Chicopee River.
References
Massachusetts water resources
{{Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Chicopee, Massachusetts
Dams in Massachusetts
Masonry dams