Reservoir & Watershed | Winsor Dam | Spillway | Goodnough Dike | Water Supply |
Costs | Quabbin Park | Historical | Forestry | Wildlife |
Reservoir and Watershed
Reservoir length | 18 miles |
Reservoir depth (max) | 151 feet |
Reservoir depth (avg) | 45 feet |
Shoreline (without islands) | 118 miles |
Island shoreline | 63 miles |
Reservoir capacity | 412 billion gallons |
Reservoir surface area | 25,000 acres |
Top one inch when full | 750 million gallons |
Area of watershed | 120,000 acres |
Area of Prescott Peninsula | 12,300 acres |
Area of islands | 3,500 acres |
Highest watershed elevation (Prospect Hill, Phillipston) | 1,383 feet |
Reservoir elevation when full, Boston City base (BCB) | 530 feet |
Towns in watershed | Athol, Barre, Belchertown, Hardwick, New Salem, Orange, Pelham, Petersham, Phillipston, Shutesbury, Ware, Wendell |
Swift River release (legal requirement) | 20 million gallons/day |
Average annual precipitation | 44 inches |
Average precipitation yield to reservoir | 50% |
Average reservoir gain from 1 inch precipitation | 1.6 billion gallons |
Winsor Dam
Built | 1935-1939 |
Length | 2,640 feet |
Maximum height above bedrock | 295 feet |
Height above Swift River | 170 feet |
Fill used | 4 million cubic yards |
Width at top / bottom | 35 feet / 724 feet |
Number of caissons | 40 |
Winsor Dam Spillway
Length | 400 feet |
Height | 4-15 feet |
Width | 7-12 feet |
Height above riverbed | 155 feet |
Goodnough Dike
Built | 1933-38 |
Length | 2,140 feet |
Width top / bottom | 35 feet / 878 feet |
Height above bedrock | 264 feet |
Height above Beaver Brook | 135 feet |
Fill used | 2.5 million cubic yards |
Number of caissons | 31 |
Water Supply
Lowest safe level | -40' (38% capacity) |
Lowest historic level (3/5/67) | -34.3' (45% capacity) |
Highest historic level (6/1/84) | +1.8' (103% capacity) |
Number of years over spillway | 16 |
Daily safe yield (entire MDC system) | 300 million gallons |
Population served 1946 1963 1990 | 1.5 million 2.1 million 2.2 million |
Per capita use (includes industrial) 1950 1963 1980 1990 | 104 gallons/day 138 gallons/day 177 gallons/day 151 gallons/day |
Costs
Acquisition of real estate | $9.6 million |
Construction of Winsor Dam | $5.85 million |
Construction of Goodnough Dike | $2.9 million |
Relocation work | $1.39 million |
Reforestation work | $135,000 |
1936 Clearing Project | $1.84 million |
Quabbin Park Cemetery | $266,000 |
Total Project Costs | $53 million |
Lives lost during construction | 26 |
Quabbin Park
Opened to public | July 1945 |
Administration Building built | 1938-39 |
Visitor Center opened | 1984 |
Size | 3,200 acres |
Public roads | 12 miles |
Trails | 22 miles |
Quabbin Hill Lookout Tower Built Height Elevation at base States seen Sight distance (Mt. Greylock) | 1940-41 84 feet 1,033 feet MA, NH, CT 62 miles |
Quabbin Park Cemetery Built Remains transferred Total grave sites (1990) Size Developed area | 1931-32 6,601 7,971 82 acres 22 acres |
Winsor Memorial Dedicated Rededicated | 6/17/41 6/16/88 |
Historical
Date towns discontinued | April 28, 1938 |
Number of structures removed | 1,100 |
Number of homes removed | 650 |
Population displaced | 2,500 |
Highways abandoned | 242 miles |
Highways relocated | 36 miles |
Railroad tracks removed | 31.5 miles |
Number of cemeteries removed | 34 |
Grave sites removed | 7,613 |
Size of original taking | 80,443 acres |
Average cost per acre | $108 |
Forestry
Seedlings planted 1936-46 | 8.2 million |
Number of native-tree species | 70+ |
Hardwood forest cover | 67% |
Softwood forest cover | 33% |
Forest cover types Timber - 60-100+ years old Poles - 40-60 years old Seedling & sapling Fields | 66% 33% <1% <1% |
Gravel roads in Quabbin Reservation | 250 miles |
Annual seedling plantings | 40,000 trees |
Wildlife
Bird species total / confirmed nesting | 250+ / 120+ |
First recorded Loon nesting | 1975 |
Bald Eagle First recorded Introduction Program Number of birds released First successful nest Maximum recorded in a season Cost of program | 1948 1982-88 41 1989 42 $210,000 |
Mammal species | 50 |
Fish species | 27 |
First Coyote seen | 1971 |
Amphibian species | 19 |
Reptile species | 15 |