The Wrights Complex Lower Dam spans the

Quaboag River The Quaboag River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in Massachusetts that heads at Quaboag Pond in Brookfield at an elevation of above sea level. ...

in West

Warren, Massachusetts Warren is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,975 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town contains the villages of Warren (CDP), Massachusetts, Warren and ...

. It is a gravity dam constructed of concrete and cut stone masonry. The dam is 80 ft (24.4 m) in length and 16 ft (4.88 m) in height. This dam is part of the

Chicopee River Watershed 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 wate ...

History

Constructed in 1890, it has withstood the floods that have taken out most of the other dams on the Quaboag River. In 2005, the Wrights Company conducted a feasibility study to return this dam to use for waterpower generation. Originally, this dam provided waterpower to the large Wrights Mill complex. In the early 1900s, this complex was a knitting mill that produced cloth and various industrial knitted materials. Locally produced waterpower ran the looms and ancillary machinery.

Description

This dam is 10.5 mi (16.9 km) downstream from the

head at

Quaboag Pond Quaboag Pond is a pond located near the East Brookfield and Brookfield, Massachusetts. The pond lies about two miles (3 km) south of state Route 9 as it passes through East Brookfield. Quaboag Pond was once named Podunk Pond. Description ...

. It is the second dam of a two dam complex. Destroyed by a flood in the mid 1950s, the upper dam was never rebuilt. Because of its height, this dam is unrunnable by local kayakers and requires mandatory

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

around it. A recent survey shows that this dam is capable of producing 830 kW of electricity continuously. This means that it could produce 1.6 MWh of clean electricity annually.

References

{{reflist Dams in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Worcester County, Massachusetts Dams completed in 1890