Conant Brook Dam is located on Conant Brook, a tributary of Chicopee Brook which flows to the Quaboag River. The Quaboag River is a major tributary of the Chicopee River. The product is situated entirely within the town of Monson, in Hampden County, Massachusetts. This is a multi-purpose project built and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New England District. Construction of the Conant Brook Dam started in June 1964 and was completed in December 1966, costing $3 million. Conant Brook dam is part of the comprehensive plan for the development of the Lower Connecticut River Basin, although it's operation and maintenance are carried out by project personnel in the Thames River Basin.
There is no lake at Conant Brook Dam. The project consists of an earthfill dam with stone slope protection 1,050-feet long and 85-feet high; a 980-foot long earthfill dike with a maximum height of 14 feet; a 405-foot-long ungated circular concrete conduit with a 36-inch diameter; and a concrete chute spillway with a 100-foot-long concrete weir. The weir’s crest elevation is 14 feet lower than the top of the dam. The flood storage area of the project, which covers 158 acres, is normally empty and only utilized to store floodwaters. The entire project, including all associated lands, covers 471 acres. Conant Brook Dam can store up to 1.22 billion gallons of water for flood control purposes. The main mission of the project is flood risk management and subsequent legislation authorizes the use of the Conant Brook Dam project area for recreation, and fish and wildlife management.
Conant Brook Dam offers a wide array of trails for outdoor recreational purposes. The trails are great for hiking or mountain biking. Several trails have been modified to best suit equestrian groups. During the winter, cross country skiing and snowshoeing is encouraged. Hunting is allowed throughout the property during the proper seasons. The project also offers three miles of stream fishing for state stocked trout along Conant and Vinica Brooks. All project lands and waters are under the jurisdiction of CFR Title 36 regulations, state, and local laws.
The current Conant Brook Dam Master Plan, last approved in 1998, needs revision to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends, and the USACE management policy. Key topics to be discussed in the revised Master Plan include revised land use classifications, new natural and recreational resource management objectives, recreation facility needs, and special issues such as invasive species management and threatened and endangered species habitat. The Master Plan revision WILL NOT address the technical and operational aspects of the lake related to flood risk management or the water conservation missions of the project. During the process, the team will collect data, conduct analysis, prepare a draft report (which will become available for public and agency comments), and ultimately finalize and adopt the new Master Plan.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will host an open house on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the Monson Public Library Community Meeting Room, to share details on a draft revision process of the Conant Brook Dam Master Plan and showcase the existing land use classification maps, which are from 1998. A 30-day public comment period began on July 31, 2024, and will end on August 31, 2024.