Blackwater Dam is a dam in the town of

Webster Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta *Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United State ...

Merrimack County, New Hampshire Merrimack County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 153,808, making it the third-most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Concord, the state capital. The county was organi ...

. The earthen dam was constructed in 1941 by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

with a height of and long at its crest. It impounds the

Blackwater River A blackwater river is a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black te ...

for

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...

and storm water management as one of five related projects in the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...

basin. The dam is owned and operated by the New England District,

North Atlantic Division The North Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of the eight permanent divisions within the Corps. Made up of roughly 3,500 employees in six districts and a Division headquarters, the North Atlantic Division is a major ...

, Army Corps of Engineers. The seasonal flood-control reservoir created by the dam has a maximum capacity of , but is normally dry, apart from the normal flow of the Blackwater. The site includes of river popular for canoeing and kayaking, and fishing for brown and rainbow trout.

References

{{authority control Dams in New Hampshire Reservoirs in New Hampshire United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Dams completed in 1941 Buildings and structures in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Landforms of Merrimack County, New Hampshire Webster, New Hampshire