Townshend Lake in Townshend, Vermont is located on the West River, about 19.5 miles upstream of the confluence of the West and Connecticut rivers and is part of a network of flood control projects in the Upper Connecticut River Basin. Construction began in 1958 and was completed in 1961 at a cost of $7.5 million dollars.
The project, along with Ball Mountain Lake situated 9.5 miles upstream, provides flood protection to Townshend, Dummerston, Newfane, Brookline, and Brattleboro, all situated on the West River. Along with other Corps dams in the Connecticut River Basin, Townshend Lake also reduces downstream flood stages on the Connecticut River.
The project consists of an earthfill dam with stone slope protection 1,700 feet long and 133 feet high; a gated 360-foot-long horseshoe-shaped concrete conduit with a diameter of 20 feet six inches; and a spillway cut in rock with a 439-foot-long concrete L-shaped ogee weir. The weir’s crest elevation is 30 feet lower than the top of the dam.
Townshend Lake has a permanent pool of 95 acres with a maximum depth of 21 feet. The flood storage area of the project totals 735 acres and extends 4.5 miles upstream through Jamaica. The project and all associated lands cover 1,219 acres. Townshend Lake can store up to 11 billion gallons of water for flood control purposes. This is equivalent to 5.8 inches of water covering its drainage area of 106 square miles.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is updating the Townshend Lake 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 Townshend Lake Master Plan, last approved in 19**, 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 Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at the Sturbridge Town Hall (Veterans Memorial Hall) to share details on a draft revision process of the East Brimfield Lake Master Plan and showcase the existing land use classification maps, which are from 1998. A 30-day public comment period began on May 1, 2024, and will end on May 30, 2024.