The Westville Dam is located on the

Quinebaug River The Quinebaug River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously , , etc ...

between Southbridge and

Sturbridge Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques. The population was 9,867 at the 2020 census, with more ...

, about west of the Southbridge town center and southwest of

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

. Designed and constructed by the

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

, this dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug 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 June 1960 with completion in August 1962 at a cost of US$5.6 million. The Westville reservoir is located within the Quinebaug River Watershed and is part of the Thames River Basin. Access to the site is available from Interstate 84 and State Route 131.

Description

The project consists of an earth fill dam with stone slope protection long and high. Located over the outlet channel, the spillway comprises a concrete weir in length. The weir's crest elevation is lower than the top of the dam. The dam creates a permanent lake in size with a maximum depth of The flood storage area for the project covers about in the towns of Southbridge and

, Massachusetts. The entire project, including all associated lands, covers . The Westville Dam can store up to of water for flood control purposes. This is equivalent to of water covering its drainage area of .

Recreation Areas

There is a large picnic/recreation area, with two reserveable picnic shelters located near the south end of the lake. The entrance is on Wallace Road in Sturbridge, near the Quinebaug river bridge. A boat ramp is also located in the recreation area. Camping and swimming are not permitted. There is no entrance fee. The recreation area is open daily during the summer season (3rd Saturday in May to the 2nd Sunday in September) from 8am to 8pm. A loop trail, known as the Westville Lake Community trail, circles the lake. It is open to all non-motorized use. It can be accessed from the recreation area, the damsite parking lot, and the Wallace Road trailhead. The Heritage trail, a walking trail, starts at the damsite and heads north along the river to nearby West Street School. The Grand Trunk Trail, which follows the grade of the never completed

Southern New England Railway The Southern New England Railway was a project of the Grand Trunk Railway (GT) to build a railroad from the GT-owned Central Vermont Railway at Palmer, Massachusetts south and east to the all-weather port of Providence, Rhode Island. Much grading ...

, leads from the recreation area to River Road in Sturbridge. The western half of the Community Trail loop follows this railbed as well. The trails, including the damsite and Wallace Road parking areas, are open year-round from sunrise to sunset. A canoe launching area and fishing area is located along Old Mashapaug Road west of the recreation area. Canoeists can paddle up the Quinebaug River as far as Turner's Club Field in the village of Fiskdale, approx. {{convert, 5, mi, km upstream. Old Mashapaug Road is open to vehicles during daylight hours from the opening of fishing season in April to the Sunday after Labor Day. A 3/4 mile trail is also available in the Hobbs Brook area of the project, with a trailhead off Hall Road in Sturbridge.

References

Westville Dam
nae.usace.army.mil Dams in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Southbridge, Massachusetts United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Dams completed in 1962 Buildings and structures in Sturbridge, Massachusetts