Cracks found in Dyken Pond Dam raising concerns
RENSSELEAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- “If that dam ever broke there, I mean, we'd be in trouble here because the creek, there's three parts of the creek right there,” said Michael Judge who lives just below the Dyken Pond Dam. He and his wife have lived in their Poestenkill home for decades. He's seen flooding in the area after storms like Irene and Sandy, but the dam has held up. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) checked the dam just last month and found some cracking and superficial deterioration.
Documents show issues of concern since 2019. The DEC website list the dam as a “Class ‘B’ or ‘Intermediate Hazard’ dam: A dam failure may result in damage to isolated homes, main highways, and minor railroads; may result in the interruption of important utilities, including water supply, sewage treatment, fuel, power, cable or telephone infrastructure; and/or is otherwise likely to pose the threat of personal injury and/or substantial economic loss or substantial environmental damage. Loss of human life is not expected.” They say they “Inspected the dam in 2023 and again this month and observed the exterior of the dam appeared to be adequately maintained.”
But the current unknowns are what concern other people in the area like the owner of Creekside Kennel who just moved to the area a year ago. “I would definitely be worried about it. So, I think that getting more information and if there's a dam issue, it should be fixed immediately,” said kennel owner Troy Clifford.
The DEC says the county has been placed on notice of its regulatory status and they say there is no Emergency Action Plan on file from the county.
Yet, leaders in Rensselaer County tell NEWS10’s Reporter James De La Fuente that they are “Not Aware of any issues at the dam.” De La Fuente has reached out to the county supervisor’s office and is waiting to hear back.
When asked about possible evacuation plans, “Nobody's ever came to us and asked us anything,” stated Judge who went on to explain, “The only thing we can do is, we'd have to get in our vehicle and go up the road here because it's high ground up there.”
Clifford said if the dam broke, “That could be a real problem for the creek because I live right by the creek. I mean my patio is right on the creek, the business is right in the back. And so, it could come very quickly.”
As for flood insurance, ““No, I never thought about getting it because, you know, I should have thought about it after Irene. Because Irene wasn't the only one. But that one was the worst. And I had the creek overflow before,” admitted Judge. And for the groomer, “I do. But I'm definitely going to look into it to make sure that I do. I'm thinking, when I asked all those right questions, but I was told it wasn't an issue. So, I'm definitely going to look into it more.”