National Program for Inspection of Non-Federal Dams. Upper Bemis Pond Dam (MA 00069), Lower Bemis Pond Dam (MA 00531), Connecticut River Basin, Chicopee, Massachusetts. Phase I Inspection Report

摘要

Upper Bemis Pond Dam is a 335-foot long earth dam built in 1954 for recreation purposes. The dam has a maximum height of 18.4 feet and consists of an earth embankment, a flume which functions as the main spillway, and two auxiliary spillways. Lower Bemis Pond Dam is a 290-foot long earth dam that was built in 1862 as an ice pond and modified in 1957 for recreational purposes. The dam has a maximum height of 33 feet and consists of an earth embankment, a drop inlet spillway containing a low level outlet, and an emergency spillway. Deficiencies observed at Upper Bemis Pond Dam include tilting of the walls of the left spillway, erosion of the embankment slopes adjacent to the flume and spillways and erosion at the downstream end of the left spillway, cracked and spalled concrete of the flume and spillway walls, and an accumulation of debris in the flume and numerous animal burrows in the embankment. Deficiencies observed at Lower Bemis Pond Dam include numerous animal burrows in the slopes; erosion of the upstream slope in the vicinity of the outlet; severely spalled concrete on the walls and floor of the spillway; severe leakage from the sluice gate of the low level outlet; heavy growth of trees and brush near the downstream toe of the dam; wood and debris accumulated in the downstream channel and trees and brush overhanging the downstream channel.