The dam at Canadarago Lake needs to be repaired immediately, and Otsego County should do it, according to recommendations presented by New York State. This issue of ownership and funding for repairs was addressed in a letter dated August 9, 2007 and written by John Clarkson, executive director of the Commission on Local Government Efficiency & Competitiveness. “Given the immediacy of the problem, we believe that the dam repair should be undertaken as soon as possible, and, under its existing authority, Otsego County can and should undertake the project, using the available grant funds and local funds and/or local in-kind contributions of labor or equipment,” Clarkson wrote. A letter from the New York State Department of Health (DOH), dated July 31, 2007, from District Director Robert A. Pierce outlined the potential health threat that could result from the lake flooding. The comments were offered “to assist you in developing a long term solution to this recurring condition,” Pierce said. Dredging the stream bed, with assistance from the Army Corps of Engineers, and additional input and assistance from the DEC’s Dam Safety Unit and Flood Control Projects Unit was also recommended in Clarkson’s letter. He also outlined a funding plan based on a 2004 study that estimated repairs to cost $202,000. Two grants previously awarded and still available totaling $142,275 for use on dam repairs and flood prevention projects “could offset the costs of repairing the dam and thereby make the repairs more affordable,” he wrote. He also noted that “these reimbursement grants require a 50 percent local government match, which can be provided monetarily or in the form of in-kind work. The local share may also be spread among the towns and county by inter-municipal agreement.” The commission’s decisions and actions referenced the DOH concerns addressed in Pierce’s July 31 letter. Pierce underscored the health threat resulting from the potential flooding situation, by noting that flooding would impact sewage disposal systems, allowing partially treated and improperly treated sewage to enter the environment. He then noted drinking water supplies could be contaminated and that people boating, swimming, water skiing or any other water based activity on the lake could ingest the water and be exposed to a possible health threat. The correspondence from Pierce and Clarkson were addressed to the town boards and supervisors of the towns of Exeter, Otsego, Richfield and to the Otsego County board chair, Donald Lindbergh. Lindbergh could not be reached prior to deadline. Both the current town supervisor, Larry Budro, and former town supervisor, Nick Palevsky, agreed that fixing the dam may not correct the problem. Palevsky pointed out that engineers have previously looked at the problem and determined that “repairing the dam will not solve the flooding. In all due respect, these are bureaucrats not engineers.” He also said it could not be done at the county level. “The liability issue is not going to go away.” One resident noted “we had flooding problems years before the dam was built.” The DOH also offered to work with all parties involved “to provide guidance as solutions are developed.”
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