Silver Lake Dam
Encyclopedia
Silver Lake Dam is located off Silver Lake Road, just outside the village of Woodridge
, New York, United States. It was built in the 1840s to regulate Sandburg Creek, which provided water to the summit of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
10 miles (16 km) to the southeast. In 2000 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The 85 acres (34.4 ha) body of water it created eventually became known as Silver Lake
, an attraction for visitors to the many Jewish summer resorts in Woodridge and neighboring communities. In the early 21st century the village of Woodridge, which owns the dam, has been working to repair it due to a leak.
11 feet (3.4 m) wide by 2 feet (50 cm) deep. Two 15 inches (38.1 cm) cast-iron
waste pipes controlled by large gate valve
s in the top of the dam next to the spillway went through the bottom of the dam.
, which had been running through the town of Mamakating
to the southeast for its first decade of operation, required a more reliable source of water for its crucial summit, or highest-elevation, section, between there and Napanoch
. Sandburg Creek, which drains an area from around Woodridge down to near the canal's path at Wurtsboro
before emptying into the Basha Kill, was identified as a creek which could be impounded to create a sufficient reservoir, and it was dammed at the appropriate spot, long before the area was developed and settled.
By 1895, as canal operations were winding down in the face of the displacement
of that mode of transportation by railroads, which did not have to shut down in winter, records indicate the dam underwent major renovations and repair. The 1914 New York State Conservation Commission
report that noted that also describes the dam as not markedly different from its original design or material.
At that time canal operations had ceased completely and the dam had become private property. The lake it created, referred to in the Conservation Commission report as Woods Lake, had become a major attraction for the new village of Woodridge and the Jewish summer resorts around it. Beaches developed at either end of the lake, and a few cottage
s were built along its shores.
In 1999, water undermined some sections of the original dam and caused a breach, draining the lake to merely one-quarter its size. The village sought and received state and federal grants to repair the dam and restore the lake, whose near-absence had hurt local business. However, the state Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC), the Conservation Commission's successor as regulator of dams, held up repairs while it considered whether to reclassify the dam as higher risk in case of failure, which could have raised the cost and forced a redesign. After eventually getting approval from DEC and putting the project out for bid, a redesign of the dam that preserved its historic character, the village suffered another setback when the lowest bid
came back at $1.5 million, almost twice what the project had been budgeted for.
Woodridge, New York
Woodridge is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 902 at the 2000 census.The Village of Woodridge is in the Town of Fallsburg at the junction of Routes 53, 54, 58, and 158. The postal code is 12789.- History :...
, New York, United States. It was built in the 1840s to regulate Sandburg Creek, which provided water to the summit of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
10 miles (16 km) to the southeast. In 2000 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The 85 acres (34.4 ha) body of water it created eventually became known as Silver Lake
Silver Lake (Woodridge, New York)
Silver Lake, one of three by that name in Sullivan County, New York, United States, is located just southeast of the village of Woodridge. It was created in the 1840s when Sandburg Creek was dammed to provide reliable water for the "summit", or highest-elevation, section of the Delaware and Hudson...
, an attraction for visitors to the many Jewish summer resorts in Woodridge and neighboring communities. In the early 21st century the village of Woodridge, which owns the dam, has been working to repair it due to a leak.
Description
As built, the dam is a stone structure, with large mortared slabs encasing a dry rubble interior. It is 176 feet (53.6 m) long, 5 feet (1.5 m) wide along the top and rising 13 feet (4 m) above the water level on the downstream side. There was a centrally-located spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
11 feet (3.4 m) wide by 2 feet (50 cm) deep. Two 15 inches (38.1 cm) cast-iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
waste pipes controlled by large gate valve
Gate valve
The gate valve, also known as a sluice valve, is a valve that opens by lifting a round or rectangular gate/wedge out of the path of the fluid. The distinct feature of a gate valve is the sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are planar, so gate valves are often used when a straight-line flow...
s in the top of the dam next to the spillway went through the bottom of the dam.
History
In the 1840s, improvements to the Delaware and Hudson CanalDelaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
, which had been running through the town of Mamakating
Mamakating, New York
Mamakating is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2000 census.The Town of Mamakating is in the southeast part of the county.- History :...
to the southeast for its first decade of operation, required a more reliable source of water for its crucial summit, or highest-elevation, section, between there and Napanoch
Napanoch, New York
Napanoch is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York. It is at the junction of routes 209 and 55. It is on the Shawangunk Ridge National Scenic Byway, and is part of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area....
. Sandburg Creek, which drains an area from around Woodridge down to near the canal's path at Wurtsboro
Wurtsboro, New York
Wurtsboro is a village located on U.S. Route 209 in the town of Mamakating in Sullivan County, New York, United States, near its junction with New York State Route 17...
before emptying into the Basha Kill, was identified as a creek which could be impounded to create a sufficient reservoir, and it was dammed at the appropriate spot, long before the area was developed and settled.
By 1895, as canal operations were winding down in the face of the displacement
Disruptive technology
A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network , displacing an earlier technology there...
of that mode of transportation by railroads, which did not have to shut down in winter, records indicate the dam underwent major renovations and repair. The 1914 New York State Conservation Commission
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
report that noted that also describes the dam as not markedly different from its original design or material.
At that time canal operations had ceased completely and the dam had become private property. The lake it created, referred to in the Conservation Commission report as Woods Lake, had become a major attraction for the new village of Woodridge and the Jewish summer resorts around it. Beaches developed at either end of the lake, and a few cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s were built along its shores.
In 1999, water undermined some sections of the original dam and caused a breach, draining the lake to merely one-quarter its size. The village sought and received state and federal grants to repair the dam and restore the lake, whose near-absence had hurt local business. However, the state Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
(DEC), the Conservation Commission's successor as regulator of dams, held up repairs while it considered whether to reclassify the dam as higher risk in case of failure, which could have raised the cost and forced a redesign. After eventually getting approval from DEC and putting the project out for bid, a redesign of the dam that preserved its historic character, the village suffered another setback when the lowest bid
Unique bid auction
A unique bid auction is a type of strategy game related to traditional auctions where the winner is usually the individual with the lowest unique bid, although less commonly the auction rules may specify that the highest unique bid is the winner...
came back at $1.5 million, almost twice what the project had been budgeted for.