Slatersville Reservoir facts for kids

Slatersville Reservoir is a big lake in the village of Slatersville. This village is part of the town of North Smithfield in Providence County, Rhode Island. It's an artificial lake, meaning it was made by people, not by nature.

About Slatersville Reservoir

The Slatersville Reservoir is an important part of the history of North Smithfield. It was created to provide power for the old textile mills in the area. These mills, owned by the famous Slater family, used water to run their machines.

How the Reservoir Was Made

The reservoir was formed by building dams across a river. A very important dam, known as the Middle Dam, was built in 1849. This dam is about 300 feet (91 meters) long. It creates a drop of 20 feet (6 meters) for the water.

Behind this main dam is the Lower Slatersville Reservoir. This part of the lake covers about 170 acres (69 hectares). Later, a smaller dam was built to make even more water power.

Water Power for Mills

The water from the reservoir was very important for the mills. A special gate, called a sluice gate, controlled how much water flowed out. This water then went into a channel called a raceway. The raceway carried the water to the Slatersville Mill, where it powered the machinery. This allowed the mill to make cloth and other textile products.

What You Can See Today

Today, you can still see both dams that helped create the reservoir. These dams now form beautiful waterfalls. You can get a good view of these waterfalls from the North Smithfield Public Library. The reservoir itself is a large body of water that adds to the scenery of the area.