Mansfield Hollow Lake
Mansfield Hollow Lake is a reservoir resting on the border of Windham County and Tolland County, Connecticut. The reservoir provides drinking water for Willimantic and helps control flooding in the 159-square-mile Thames River watershed. It was created by the Mansfield Hollow Dam and is entirely contained within Mansfield Hollow State Park and the Mansfield Hollow Wildlife Area. Designed and constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug, Shetucket, and Thames rivers. Construction of the project began in 1949 with completion in 1952 at a cost of  US$6.5 million. The Mansfield Hollow reservoir is located within the Shetucket River Watershed and is part of the Thames River Basin. Access to the site is available from US Route 6 and State Route 195. The damsite, covering an area of , was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Description. The project consists of a rolled earth fill dam with stone slope protection long and high. The spillway comprises a concrete weir in length. The weir's crest elevation is lower than the top of the dam. The permanent lake at Mansfield Hollow Dam, Naubesatuck Lake  is in size. The flood storage area for the entire project covers about in the towns of Mansfield, Windham, and Chaplin, Connecticut. The entire project, including all associated lands, covers . The Mansfield Hollow Dam can store up to of water for flood control purposes. This is equivalent to of water runoff from its drainage area of . Recreation. Mansfield Hollow State Park is located on Bassett Bridge Road in the town of Mansfield. The park offers boating (8 mph limit), fishing, a shaded picnic area and many miles of hiking, mountain biking and cross-country ski trails. A boat launch is  located on Bassett Bridge Road in the town of Mansfield, 1/2 mile east of the state park entrance. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. There is no entrance fee. This area is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Mansfield Hollow Dam is located on Mansfield Hollow Road in the town of Mansfield. Visitors can picnic on the lawn both downstream of the dam and on the lake side of the dam. The top of the dam is popular for walking, jogging, and biking. The west half of the dam is approx. long, the  east half is almost long. Parking is available at the State Park, Damsite, Commuter Parking Lot on US Route 6, and athletic field parking lot on State Route 89. The dam runs alongside Windham Airport.