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Mansfield Hollow Lake

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Coordinates: 41°46′32″N 72°11′00″W / 41.77556°N 72.18333°W / 41.77556; -72.18333
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Mansfield Hollow Lake
Lake Naubesatuck, Mansfield Lake [1]
Aerial view. Windham Airport can be seen at the right.
Mansfield Hollow Lake is located in Connecticut
Mansfield Hollow Lake
Mansfield Hollow Lake
Location in Connecticut
LocationMansfield & Windham, Connecticut
Coordinates41°46′32″N 72°11′00″W / 41.77556°N 72.18333°W / 41.77556; -72.18333 [1]
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsNatchaug River, Fenton River, Mount Hope River
Primary outflowsNatchaug River
Catchment area163 sq mi (420 km2) [2]
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length2.2 miles (3.5 km)
Max. width2,400 feet (730 m)
Surface area440 acres (180 ha):
Normal pool [2]
Max. depth23 ft (7.0 m) [2]
Water volume90,000,000 cubic feet (2,500,000 m3):
Normal pool [3]
Surface elevation210 feet (64 m) [1]
SettlementsMansfield Center
Mansfield Hollow Dam
Official nameMansfield Hollow Dam
LocationMansfield & Windham
Construction began1949
Opening date1952
Mansfield Hollow Dam
NRHP reference No.03000194
Added to NRHPApril 12, 2003
Operator(s)Army Corps of Engineers
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsNatchaug River
Height68 ft (21 m)
Length12,420 ft (3,790 m)
Width (crest)15 ft (4.6 m)
Width (base)265 ft (81 m)
Reservoir
CreatesMansfield Hollow Lake (Lake Naubesatuck) [4]

Mansfield Hollow Lake is a reservoir resting on the border of Windham County and Tolland County, Connecticut. The reservoir provides drinking water for Willimantic and helps control flooding in the 159-square-mile Thames River watershed.[4] It was created by the Mansfield Hollow Dam and is entirely contained within Mansfield Hollow State Park and the Mansfield Hollow Wildlife Area.[5] Designed and constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug, Shetucket, and Thames rivers. Construction of the project began in 1949 with completion in 1952 at a cost of US$6.5 million.[6] 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 and State Route 195. The damsite, covering an area of 25 acres (10 ha), was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.[7]

Description

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The project consists of a rolled earth fill dam with stone slope protection 12,420 feet (3,790 m) long and 68 feet (21 m) high. The spillway comprises a concrete weir 690 ft (210 m) in length. The weir's crest elevation is 16 feet (4.9 m) lower than the top of the dam. The permanent lake at Mansfield Hollow Dam, Naubesatuck Lake is 450 acres (1.8 km2) in size. The flood storage area for the entire project covers about 1,880 acres (7.6 km2) in the towns of Mansfield, Windham, and Chaplin, Connecticut. The entire project, including all associated lands, covers 2,472 acres (10.00 km2). The Mansfield Hollow Dam can store up to 8.3 billion US gallons (31,000,000 m3) of water for flood control purposes. This is equivalent to 6.1 inches (150 mm) of water runoff from its drainage area of 159 square miles (410 km2).[6]

Recreation

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Mansfield Hollow State Park is located on Bassetts 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 Bassetts 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.[8]

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. 1-mile (1.6 km) long, the east half is almost 2 miles (3.2 km) 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.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mansfield Hollow Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c "Mansfield Hollow Lake". Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. 2004. Archived from the original on May 20, 2006. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
  3. ^ "Water Resources Data: Connecticut: Water Year 2005" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. 2005. p. 82. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Marteka, Peter (September 4, 2001). "Hollow, Nice to Meet You". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "Mansfield Hollow State Park Map" (PDF). State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. May 19, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Mansfield Hollow Lake Flood Risk Management Project". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  7. ^ "Mansfield Hollow Dam". NPGallery. National Park Service. April 12, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  8. ^ "Mansfield Hollow State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
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