Ball Mountain Lake is part of a network of flood damage reduction projects in the Connecticut River Basin and is also used for recreation. Constructed in 1961 at a cost of $10.3 million dollars, it is operated and maintained by the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers. Since its completion, Ball Mountain Lake has prevented flood damages in excess of $84 million, including $18.3 million during the heavy rains of April 1987. During this storm, the flood storage area upstream of the dam was filled to capacity and excess water had to be discharged over the spillway.