Fosters Pond Dam Reconstruction

CLIENT: City of Meriden, CT

PROJECT: Fosters Pond Dam Reconstruction

THE CHALLENGE: The existing spillway is inadequate to discharge the 100-year spillway design flood, and the existing, aging dam is in very poor condition. The embankments are steep and lack erosion protection, the crest is narrow, and the outlet is in disrepair and inoperable. The reconstruction of Fosters Pond Dam needs to be designed to improve the safety and reliability of the structure, provide an operable outlet, and make the structure easier to maintain.

THE SOLUTION: The reconstruction includes constructing new, higher reinforced concrete spillway training walls, providing upstream riprap erosion protection, constructing a new reinforced concrete gate structure with 24-inch inlet and outlet pipes and sluice gate, widening the embankment crests to 12 feet, flattening the slopes for ease of maintenance, and providing a gravel road to allow access to the left (looking downstream) embankment and gate structure. Riprap erosion protection will be provided on the upstream slopes and in the discharge channel. With these improvements, the dam will be able to safely pass the 100-year spillway design flood with 1.1 feet of freeboard. The level and length of the spillway weir will remain unchanged.