COLD SPRING- Cold Spring received a special gift just in time for Christmas when New York State announced a $2.5 million grant headed to the village for critical repairs of the municipality’s Upper Dam.
The funding came through the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Project Program.
The grant will be used to help fund a long-awaited project to reconstruct the dam’s stone walls, raise the dam height by two feet, install a waterproof membrane and improve its outlet and abutments. The improvements aim to protect the village’s drinking water supply, which serves Cold Spring, Nelsonville and parts of Philipstown.
The Upper Dam which has been classified as a ‘High Hazard Dam’ by the DEC has been in need of repairs for years. The reconstruction is part of an $8 million project to address safety concerns and improve the spillway’s capacity.
Cold Spring Mayor Kathleen E. Foley described the dam’s condition as a “critical public safety issue. It is a relief that we finally have resources and momentum to see necessary repairs through. While this grant is only a portion of the nearly $8 million needed to complete the Upper Dam repairs, it is a significant boost for the village.”
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