Hodges Village Dam, a United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Army Corps of Engineers

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

 flood control project on the French River (Massachusetts)

French River (Massachusetts)

The French River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut.The river rises near Leicester, Massachusetts, and flows generally southwards through Auburn, Oxford, and Dudley; it then enters Connecticut where it joins the Quinebaug River at Thompson, just northeast of Putnam...

 in Oxford, Massachusetts

Oxford, Massachusetts

Oxford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,709 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Oxford, please see the article Oxford , Massachusetts.-History:...

 was built in 1959 as a response to the 1936 floods which took lives and caused tremendous property damage in the Thames River

Thames River (Connecticut)

The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...

 basin of Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. The surrounding lands are open to hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating. There are 15 miles of hiking trails on the property, as well as motorized bike trails on the west side of the river. ATV's/quads are restricted from the entire area. However, motorized bikes are allowed only on the west side of the river.

The 90 mile Midstate Trail trail passes through the project. Hodges Village Dam is managed as a unit with the nearby Buffumville Lake

Buffumville Lake

Buffumville Lake is a , capacity United States Army Corps of Engineers flood control lake project located in Charlton, Massachusetts. The lake and surrounding grounds are open to the public for hiking, boating, fishing, and hunting. A 27-hole frisbee golf course is located next to the lake...

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