Hodges Village Dam in Oxford, Massachusetts, Worcester County, is located on the French River in the upper Thames River Basin. This is a multi-purpose project built and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New England District. Hodges Village Dam was built in 1959 at a cost of $4.4 million in response to the floods of 1936 which caused tremendous property damage and took many lives in the Thames River Basin. Hodges Village Dam is part of the comprehensive plan for the development of the Thames River Basin. Construction of the dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944. The main mission of the project is flood risk management and subsequent legislation authorizes the use of the Hodges Village Dam project area for recreation, and fish and wildlife management.
Hodges Village Dam is a dry bed reservoir located on the French River. Water levels at Hodges are controlled by two sluice gates to control downstream water levels. There is no conservation pool behind the dam; the French River flows freely through the dam except during flood control operations. Spillway crest is elevation 501ft. At spillway capacity, the reservoir covers 740 acres and has a flood storage capacity of 13,250 acre-feet.
While the main purpose of Hodges Village Dam is to provide flood risk management to the Thames River Basin, over the years the project has become a recreational hotspot. To date, there are approximately 22 miles of trails weaving their way around the Hodges Village project area. The blue blazed trails and the Midstate Trail on both the east and west sides of French River are for non-motorized use (hiking, nature study, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and horseback riding). Orange blazed trails on the west side of the river are for both non-motorized and motorized use. Hodges Village Dam is the only legal off highway motorcycle area in Central Massachusetts and draws visitors from around the tri-state area. Off highway motorcycles are allowed on the west side of the French River as reservoir level, weather, and trail conditions permit. There is also a 13-hole disc golf course and a 3-mile-long canoe trail that starts at Green Briar in North Oxford and ends at the dam site. Hunting of game species is allowed on the west side of the French River, and in accordance with state regulations.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the natural resources at Hodges Village Dam for multiple uses: flood risk management, wildlife habitat, forest production, watershed protection, and outdoor recreation. Almost 1,200 acres of land make up the natural environment at Hodges Village Dam. On the west side of the French River are upland hardwoods, red oak, white oak and hickory. The east side of Hodges Village Dam supports an Atlantic White Cedar swamp and numerous shrub swamps and forested wetlands. Red maple, alder, birch, and other common wetland plants are found in the widespread wetlands. All project lands and waters are under the jurisdiction of CFR Title 36 regulations, state, and local laws.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is updating the Hodges Village Dam Master Plan. The Master Plan is the strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all project resources throughout the life of a USACE project. The Master Plan guides efficient and cost-effective management, development, and use of project lands. It is a vital tool for the responsible stewardship and sustainability of project resources for the benefit of present and future generations. The Master Plan guides and articulates USACE responsibilities, pursuant to federal laws to preserve, conserve, restore, maintain, manage, and develop project lands and waters and associated resources. The intent of an updated Master Plan is to present a current inventory and assessment of resources, provide an analysis of resource use, and evaluate existing and future needs required to protect and improve the value of resources at a project.
The current Hodges Village Dam Master Plan, last approved in 1976, 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 Thursday, August 1, 2024, at the Oxford Public Library Community Meeting Room, to share details on a draft revision process of the Hodges Village Dam Master Plan and showcase the existing land use classification maps, which are original from 1976. A 30-day public comment period began on August 1, 2024, and will end on September 1, 2024.