Mansfield Hollow Lake is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
resting on the border of
Windham County and
Tolland County, Connecticut
Tolland County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,788. It is incorporated into 13 towns and was originally formed on 13 October 1785 from portions of eastern Ha ...
. The reservoir provides drinking water for
Willimantic and helps control flooding in the 159-square-mile
Thames River
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
watershed.
[ It was created by the Mansfield Hollow Dam and is entirely contained within Mansfield Hollow State Park and the Mansfield Hollow Wildlife Area.][ Designed and constructed by the , the dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug, Shetucket, and ]Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
rivers. Construction of the project began in 1949 with completion in 1952 at a cost of US$6.5 million.[ The Mansfield Hollow reservoir is located within the Shetucket River Watershed and is part of the Thames River Basin. Access to the site is available from ]US Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
and State Route 195. The damsite, covering an area of , was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2003.[
]
Description
The project consists of a rolled earth fill dam with stone slope protection long and high. The spillway comprises a concrete weir in length. The weir's crest elevation is lower than the top of the dam. The permanent lake at Mansfield Hollow Dam, Naubesatuck Lake is in size. The flood storage area for the entire project covers about in the towns of Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...
, Windham, and Chaplin Chaplin may refer to:
People
* Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director
* Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin
Films
* '' Unknown Chaplin'' (1983)
* ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992)
* ''Chaplin'' (2011 film), Ben ...
, Connecticut. The entire project, including all associated lands, covers . The Mansfield Hollow Dam can store up to of water for flood control purposes. This is equivalent to of water runoff from its drainage area of .[
]
Recreation
Mansfield Hollow State Park is located on Bassett Bridge Road in the town of Mansfield. The park offers boating (8 mph limit), fishing, a shaded picnic area and many miles of hiking, mountain biking and cross-country ski trails. A boat launch is located on Bassett Bridge Road in the town of Mansfield, 1/2 mile east of the state park entrance. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. There is no entrance fee. This area is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is a state agency in the US state of Connecticut. The department oversees the state's natural resources and environment and regulates public utilities and energy policy. I ...
.[
Mansfield Hollow Dam is located on Mansfield Hollow Road in the town of Mansfield. Visitors can picnic on the lawn both downstream of the dam and on the lake side of the dam. The top of the dam is popular for walking, jogging, and biking. The west half of the dam is approx. long, the east half is almost long. Parking is available at the State Park, Damsite, Commuter Parking Lot on US Route 6, and athletic field parking lot on State Route 89. The dam runs alongside ]Windham Airport
Windham Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of the central business district of Willimantic, a city in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the Connecticut Airport Authority. It is includ ...
.
See also
* Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor
*
*
References
External links
Mansfield Hollow Lake
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mansfield Hollow State Park
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
{{authority control
Mansfield, Connecticut
Reservoirs in Connecticut
Willimantic, Connecticut
Lakes of Windham County, Connecticut
Lakes of Tolland County, Connecticut
Windham, Connecticut
Protected areas established in 1952
Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Tolland County, Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Windham County, Connecticut
Dams completed in 1952
Protected areas of Windham County, Connecticut
Protected areas of Tolland County, Connecticut
United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
State parks of Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Tolland County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Connecticut
1952 establishments in Connecticut