Croton Dam Work Could Lead To 3 Weeks Of Dangerous Flow Rates In The River

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — So that the New Croton Dam and spillway can be inspected, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection will lower water levels in the New Croton Reservoir starting Sept. 6.

The plan is to release water from the reservoir for about 2 ½ weeks in order to lower the level to a point where the inspections can take place, Edward Timbers from the DEC told Patch.

That means vastly higher amounts of water will be flowing into the river, "requiring additional cautions for recreational activities," village officials pointed out in an announcement to residents.

In fact, the release from the reservoir could jump as high as 405 million gallons a day, up from the current 5.5 million gallons a day, they said.

As a precaution, Silver Lake Park, Mayo's Landing, Black Rock Park and Echo Canoe Launch will be closed on Sept. 6 and 7 so officials can assess any potential impacts from such a significant increase in river flow.

"Members of the public should be extra cautious while the increased water is released into the river," village officials said. "Activities such as wade fishing and kayaking are discouraged, as the fluctuating flow in the river could make them unsafe."

The top of the dam, which is a popular spot for walkers and bicyclists, will remain open through the project, Timbers said. Two years ago, DEP closed the walkway to allow a team of rope-access technicians to rappel down the face of the dam and inspect the stones that were used to build the structure 115 years ago. It was the largest dam in the world when it was completed in 1905.

The New Croton Dam — also known as Cornell Dam — holds back up to 19 billion gallons of water. It is the final collecting reservoir in the Croton System, which provides about 10 percent of the drinking water used by New York City on an average day.

New York City’s water supply provides more than 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9.3 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system.

This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from NYC, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts.

While the Catskill and Delaware systems, located on the west side of the Hudson River, are running below historical storage levels because of the dry summer, the Croton system has plenty of water, Timbers said.