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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE06-63

December 14, 2006

Contact: Ian Michaels (718) 595-6600

New York City and Schoharie County Mark the End of Gilboa Dam Stabilization Project

Schoharie County Board of Supervisors Chairman Earl VanWormer and Commissioner Emily Lloyd of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that work to stabilize the Gilboa Dam has been completed.  Representatives of the DEP, Schoharie County and Gilboa met at the dam this morning to mark the occasion.

Chairman VanWormer said, "I am very proud of all the hard work that has been done by the County, various fire service and emergency responders, citizens groups and local, state and federal officials in working on this issue, which could have seriously affected our County.

"I am also very thankful to the officials in New York City and especially Commissioner Lloyd and the DEP staff who has looked at our situation and did the right thing, which was to help us protect our County and the residents in counties near us.  I believe what we have started here will continue for now and in the future.  The example of cooperation and working together could well be a model for many other such situations."

Commissioner Lloyd said, "Chairman VanWormer and I met today for a briefing to discuss the work that has brought the Gilboa Dam up to full safety standards.  I would like to thank all the residents of Schoharie County, the residents downstream and in the Mohawk Valley who have lived with a very difficult situation for over a year.  Their willingness to work with us made this a better project and has built a partnership that I hope will last long into the future."

Tony VanGlad, Chairman of the Flood Committee said, "I'm very happy to hear the anchoring system is in place.  With the notch, siphons and anchors I am confident with the factor of safety.  I would like to commend DEP Commissioner Lloyd for listening to our citizens concerns and ideas.”

The DEP has spent $24 million to improve the dam since it was discovered in October 2005 that it could have become unstable in an extremely large flood.  A debris boom was placed across the Schoharie Reservoir in December to keep debris off the dam.  A 220' x 5.5' notch was removed from the western end of the dam in February in order to lower water levels and facilitate stabilization work.  In March, four large siphons were installed to almost double the capacity to remove water from the reservoir and also facilitate repairs.  

In the final construction stage, 80 post-tensioned anchoring cables were installed through the dam in order to secure it to the underlying bedrock.  (The original plan called for 79 anchoring cables, but an additional cable was installed after one partially frayed during construction.)

A full-scale $300 million reconstruction project that will begin in 2008 will bring the dam up to the more stringent State standards for new dam construction.  The DEP has committed to including flood gates as part of the full-scale reconstruction project.  The four siphons will also remain in place until that project begins.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) manages New York City’s water supply, which is collected from three watersheds comprising nearly 2000 square miles, 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes and provides over one billion gallons of quality drinking water daily serving over half the population of New York State.  The DEP manages 14 in-City wastewater treatment plans, as well as nine-treatment plants upstate.  DEP’s operations and investments translate into 1833 jobs in the West of Hudson watershed, and DEP pays over $100 million a year in taxes in the watershed.

 

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