Following a fiery public hearing in June hosted by the state, Rensselaer County is now calling on the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation to restore the deteriorating Martin Dunham Dam in Grafton.
Floating in Grafton's Dunham Reservoir in kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, local residents joined county officials in calling on the state to save their beloved recreational area.
Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin added his voice to the call for restoration of the reservoir's more than century-old dam, as the state considers removing the structure.
“The removal of the dam would end a chapter totaling 114 years and represent the collapse of a commitment they made by New York State to the people of Grafton and Rensselaer County,” McLaughlin said.
A recent engineering study by firm Stantec found that if the Grafton dam fails, downstream communities could be at risk of flooding.
A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency-funded study determined the dam is not in compliance with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Dam Safety Requirements.
The dam is owned by the state and operated as part of Grafton Lakes State Park. Originally built to serve as a water source for the city of Troy in 1911, the 98-acre reservoir is now largely used for recreation.
A full restoration of the dam could cost as much as $20 million. Despite the high price tag, Grafton Town Supervisor Ingrid Gundrum says restoration is the best option.
“Grafton has always been a good neighbor to the State of New York. We have roughly 30,000 acres in Grafton. The State of New York and its agencies own approximately 4,200 acres,” Gundrum said. “We're just asking the state of New York to be a good neighbor to us, as we have been to them.
The Parks Department says it is “pursuing near-term measures” to improve the dam.
Improvements could include the replacement of outlet valves, inlet repair, and stabilizing the dam's spillway outlet channel.
State Parks says these fixes won’t bring the dam into full DEC dam safety requirements but will allow the reservoir to be maintained.
Beyond a full restoration, a second cheaper option proposed by State Parks would partially remove the dam, and improve habitat connectivity by restoring the stream on the other side of the structure. This option, however, could impact recreational boating.
The lowest cost option would remove part of the dam, not restore the stream, and eliminate boating on the reservoir.
Gundrum has concerns if water levels are reduced any further.
She says a recent draining impacted town fire hydrants near the reservoir.
“The Grafton Volunteer Fire Department has let me know that he would have capacity with tankers, but he'd be relying on our fellow municipalities for that help when we have the resources right here to do it ourselves,” Gundrum said.
The state says it informed the public of its work to drain water levels last month through email and social media.
The state says work is ongoing to install a new horizontal pipe that will allow firefighters to use water from the reservoir during emergencies.
Meanwhile, the concerned residents say they will continue pressuring the state to save the dam and improve local communication. Here's Grafton resident Robert Loveday...
“There are three aspects. One is the technical work that needs to be done. The second is to use a mindset that that preserves the reservoir as we use it now. And the third is to have better communication between elected officials, the towns that are involved and the residents, so that questions are answered quickly, efficiently, and things can move more efficiently through the process,” Loveday said.
Funding options for restoration or the decommissioning of the dam are still being explored. State Parks says there is no timeline for a long-term decision yet.
