NY Pledges $130,109 For 2 Unsound Dams In Putnam County

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Grants are coming to two Putnam County towns to help fix two dams that are rated "high hazard" and "unsound."

There are 424 dams in New York classified as "high hazard" which is a measure of how severe the consequences would be if they failed. That includes the Lake Carmel Dam in Kent and the Roaring Brook Dam in Putnam Valley.

Both are also among the 147 dams in the state rated "unsound," according to a special report in 2021 by the Times Union. The Lake Carmel Dam, built in 1930, is rated "Unsound - Deficiency Recognized." The Roaring Brook Dam, which was built in 1959, was rated "Unsound - Fair."

In all, $766,000 in grants was awarded Friday to nine dam-safety projects in the Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes and Capital regions. Funding was provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ‘High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program.’

In Putnam County, the grant money will go toward engineering improvements.

• Town of Kent – Lake Carmel Dam, Planning and Design Project: $100,000

• Town of Putnam Valley – Roaring Brook Dam, Planning and Design Project: $30,109

New York is not alone. The national Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimated in 2021 that the number of deficient high-hazard-potential dams in the USA exceeded 2,300 and that the problem was lack of investment.

News of the local dam grants came less than a month after news that the state would help with flooding problems in three places in the county. SEE: NY Pledges $3 Million For Flood Projects In Putnam County

State officials said they want to repair New York's infrastructure and make it more resilient to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“DEC is dedicated to protecting lives, property, and the environment by helping dam owners comply with New York State’s stringent requirements that help keep the public safe and keep dams in good condition,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos in the grant announcement. "This funding provides much-needed assistance for municipal and not-for-profit dam owners to improve the condition of their dams over the long term.”

Dams aren't the only things in bad shape across the USA. SEE: Here Are The Crumbling Bridges In The Hudson Valley