Clear Reservoir as part of Ashley Reservoir
Bray Brook Reservoir is now called Clear Reservoir (LOCATION). That is since there is another Bray Reservoir in Holyoke and thus to avoid confusion, this body of water had its name changed. The Clear Reservoir Dam is the earthen structure in front of you. An initial dike was added in 1877. In 1880 the construction firms of Daniel O’Connell and John Delaney built in earnest a larger dike system on Bray Reservoir to allow for a massive storage of water. It took to until 1884 to extract any water from this new reservoir and until to 1885 to have Bray two thirds filled.
Its outlet now leads to Cedar Reservoir but once lead via pipes to Wright Pond. Hurricane Diane in 1955 breached the dam of Clear Reservoir so the water enters into Cedar Reservoir. The New England Hurricane of 1938 had done little damage to the Asley Pond System but Hurricane Diane was a bitter lesson.
The source of water of Clear Reservoir is Bray Brook which arises two miles to its north near Cherry Street.
Bray Small Pond was a tiny swampy pond to the east of the Bray Pond. In 1938 and 1939 it was filled in with gravel and a topsoil layer of 6 inches (which had been taken from the Tannery Reservoir).