The Westville Dam is located on the Quinebaug River between Southbridge and Sturbridge, about 1.3mi west of the Southbridge town center and 18mi southwest of Worcester, Massachusetts.Designed and constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, this dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug and Thames rivers. Construction of the project began in June 1960 with completion in August 1962 at a cost of US$5.6 million.The Westville reservoir is located within the Quinebaug River Watershed and is part of the Thames River Basin. Access to the site is available from Interstate 84 and State Route 131.DescriptionThe project consists of an earth fill dam with stone slope protection 560ft long and 78ft high. Located over the outlet channel, the spillway comprises a concrete weir 200ft in length. The weir's crest elevation is 15ft lower than the top of the dam. The dam creates a permanent lake 23acre in size with a maximum depth of 16ft The flood storage area for the project covers about 913acre in the towns of Southbridge and Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The entire project, including all associated lands, covers 510acre. The Westville Dam can store up to 3.61e9USgal of water for flood control purposes. This is equivalent to 6.5in of water covering its drainage area of 32sqmi.
