There are 5,736 state-regulated dams in New York State. Most of these dams were built prior to 1970. Like other infrastructure, as dams age, they require maintenance in order to maintain their structural integrity. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Dam Safety Program maps, assigns hazard ratings, and conducts inspections on New York’s dams. As communities and independent dam owners confront the challenge of aging dams, there are many unique considerations for how to deal with individual dams. Dam removal can facilitate migratory fish passage, restore the dam and impoundment area to natural stream conditions, and eliminate a community hazard if the dam is compromised. Maintaining dams can be important for communities in some cases in order to retain an impoundment that is a community asset or maintain a historically or symbolically important community structure. Both options come with important price and funding considerations too.
On August 28th the Tug Hill Commission facilitated an information meeting at the Village of Mexico office, focused on issues surrounding the dams in the Little Salmon River Watershed. The meeting was meant to be a forum for municipalities and other concerned entities and residents to learn about resources that are available through New York State and other organizations, and to be able to share their independent concerns. Presentations from the meeting can be found below.
Please direct any questions to Gabriel Yerdon at [email protected], 315-785-2387.
Presentations
Oswego County Dam Overview – NYS DEC
Dam Safety in the Northeast & Great Lakes – NY Sea Grant
Ecological Monitoring Surrounding Barrier Sites in the Village of Mexico – Cornell University, New York State Water Resources Institute
Upstream Transition Following Dam Removal Example
Funding for Watershed Resiliency Options – NYS DEC, Cornell Water Resources Institute
Additional Information and Resources
DECinfo Locator (ny.gov) – Interactive map showing dam locations and hazard classifications
Dam Safety – NYSDEC – DEC’s Dam Safety Program
Review of Potential Dam Removal and Mitigation Opportunities in New York’s Great Lakes Basin
Dam Removal Funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act