List of dam removals in Connecticut

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

Completed removals

Dam^[1]	Height	Year removed	Location	Watercourse	Watershed	Notes
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	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	This hydropower dam had been partially washed out in 1955, forcing the river to flow rapidly through a narrow notch. It was removed to improve boat safety and to allow fish to swim upstream to spawn.^[2]
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		Mill dam owned by the Housatonic Fish and Game Protection Association.
Roraback Pond Dam	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		The 510-foot (160 m) long earthen dam was owned by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and impounded a 0.83-acre (0.34 ha) pond. It was in severe disrepair and was breached to remove maintenance and liability concerns, as well as for stream restoration.^[3]
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)			Brass mill dam.
Heminway Pond Dam	14 ft (4.3 m)	2018	Watertown	Steele Brook		Dam powered silk thread manufacturing, owned by the Town of Watertown.
Blackledge River Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	2018	Glastonbury	Blackledge River	Lower Connecticut River	Sawmill dam owned by the Town of Glastonbury.
Ed Bills Pond Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	2015^[4]	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		Dam built for recreation and aesthetics.
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		Owned by The Nature Conservancy.
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		Mill dam.
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		Mill dam owned by the Town of Glastonbury.
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		Mill dam.
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		Dam built for recreation.
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	Grist mill dam.
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	Mill dam.
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	Mill dam.
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)			Industrial 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)			National Inventory of Dams ID CT00579.
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	Mill dam.
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		Mill dam.
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		National Inventory of Dams ID CT00630.
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	Owned by City of Stamford.
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	Mill dam owned by the Town of Sprague.
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		Owned by the State of Connecticut.
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	Dam built for recreation.
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	Dam built for a mink farm.
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	Grist mill dam.

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References

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

External links

Media related to Removed dams in Connecticut at Wikimedia Commons

[ardrd-1] Rivers, American (13 February 2023). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v10. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

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

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

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

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