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 Click here for the
latest information on the Dam: drawdowns, maintenance, and
current conditions
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The Foster's Pond Dam, owned and maintained by the Foster's Pond Corporation, shortly after completion of months of restoration work by volunteers in 2006 and 2007. The 150-year-old dam, with its spillway buttressed by granite walls and the upstream face protected by crushed stone, is now a neighborhood icon - and a lot safer. The dam functions as a "pocket park" where residents and visitors can enjoy easy Pond access and a splendid view. There is no parking at the dam itself, but on-street parking is allowed on Carter Lane a short distance away, and visitors utilize three or four informal spots along Rattlesnake Hill Road.
Fishing is allowed (a license, of course, is required), and visitors may launch their canoe, kayak or bass boat (electric motors are permitted, but gasoline-powered engines are prohibited).
Please treat the dam gently - don't drag your boat, don't dig anywhere on the dam, and leave the crushed stones in place, protecting the dam from erosion. And if you bring it in, take it out - don't leave litter, bait cans, or cigarette butts behind. |
Without
the
Foster's Pond Dam, there wouldn't be much to Foster's Pond. Old
pre-dam maps, dating to the 1850's, show the Pond to be a small oval
sitting roughly in the middle of where the main pond now lies.
And the dam truly is the reason for the existence of the Foster's Pond
Corporation. Indeed, when the Corporation was formed in 1939, its
purpose, first and foremost, as stated in its corporate charter, was to
"maintain, repair and operate the dam regulating the flow of water from
Foster's Pond." The dam was owned at the time by an aging Francis H. Foster.
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| For decades, State inspectors worried that the sides of the dam's spillway were too short to prevent high water from spreading over the top of the dam, eroding the earthen crest. In this 2003 photo, the placid flow gives no hint of the problem. |
He came under increasing pressure from State inspectors to improve
the condition of his dam, and, as more and more people were purchasing
summer "camps" around the
Pond, he decided to turn the task over to the new property owners. The
Corporation was formed
to take the dam off his hands. And while the Corporation has expanded
its Pond-protection mission, there
wouldn't be much to protect without the dam, which remains a central
focus of Corporation concern.
It has
been maintained, over the years, by the efforts of volunteers.
The
Massachusetts Office of Dam
Safety's electronic file on the dam, lists
the dam as having a structural height of 11 feet, a hydraulic height of
7 feet, and a
crest length of 150 feet.
The
dam is classified by the State as a "Significant Hazard" dam, a
classification which under State
regulations applies to dams "located where failure may cause loss
of life and damage home(s), industrial or commercial
facilities, secondary highway(s) or railroad(s) or cause interruption
of use or service of relatively important facilities."
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| A major safety improvement, completed in 2007, was the restoration of an emergency spillway (to the left of the bench), which will prevent high water from flooding over - and eroding - the top of the earthen dam. The emergency spillway also doubles as a ramp for launching canoes, kayaks, and boats with electric motors. Gasoline-powered craft are prohibited. |
The
dam is rated by the State as one of "intermediate size", based on its
having a storage capacity of more than 50 acre-feet and less than 1000
acre-feet. The Foster's Pond Dam is listed as having a "normal" storage
of 420 acre-feet and a "maximum" capacity of 550 acre-feet.
The
dam is subject to state regulation, including regular inspections. The
Corporation is responsible for maintaining the dam.
In 2002, the
General Court enacted revisions of the laws relating to the inspection,
registration, and reconstruction of dams. The new laws, set forth in M.G.L.
c. 253, s. 44 to s. 50A, are enforced by the Office of Dam
Safety
in the Executive Office
of Environmental Affairs' Department of Conservation and
Recreation.
The Office of Dam Safety (which has only three engineers on
its staff) published new regulations in November, 2005, contained
in 302 C.M.R.
10:00. These regulations set out
the requirements for constructing new dams as well as inspecting and
maintaining existing dams. The new regulations also required the
registration of all dams commencing in January, 2006, and the inspection of all dams by the end of 2006.
The 2006 inspection of the Foster's Pond Dam found it in poor condition and needing significant restoration. A massive effort by volunteers, in late 2006 and through much of 2007, changed the face of the dam. For a detailed account of the project, as it developed, click here.
By the way, did
you know that there are an estimated 3100 dams in Massachusetts - and that 750 of them carry the same "significant hazard potential" label that applies to our dam? The classification is based on what would happen if they fail, not on their condition or the likelihood that they will give way. Another 320 dams are categorized as "high hazard potential."
Some
other documents relating to the dam:
Foster's Pond Dam Follow-Up Inspection/Evaluation Report. A 37-page report by GEI Consultants, Inc., on their May 8, 2008 inspection, which followed intense volunteer efforts by the Foster's Pond Corporation to restore the dam and improve its safety.
Foster's Pond Dam Phase 1 Inspection Report. A 58-page report by GEI Consultants, Inc., on their November 10, 2006 State-mandated inspection.
Office
of Dam
Safety’s Electronic File on Foster’s Pond Dam (as of August 12,
2003) A one-page summary of our dam's condition.
Office
of Dam Safety's list of codes used in its electronic file. Helpful
in decoding the Electronic File.
Office
of Dam Safety Inspection Report (Inspection on March 29, 2001)
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