These Are the Most Dangerous Dams in the Hudson Valley

If you're from the Hudson Valley it's likely that you live very close to a dam that's considered a "high hazard" and not even realize it.

In the beginning of December Representative Sean Patrick Maloney announced the passage of his Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act, which was aimed help access funding rehab high-hazard publicly-owned dams across the country. Maloney says the bill is important because there are many dangerous dams right here in the Hudson Valley. The Congressman warned,

Nearly 100 dams in the Hudson Valley are considered high-hazard, and that’s pretty scary for families and businesses throughout our area.

We searched through data provided by the New York State DEC and were surprised to find so many local dams that received the lowest rating possible. According to inspectors, a dam that has been rated class "C" or "High Hazard" may result in widespread or serious damage to homes, highways, industrial or commercial buildings, railroads, and utilities. A high hazard dam could also cause many fatalities and cause other catastrophic losses.

The fact that so many Hudson Valley dams are rated as "C" is unsettling. Here are just a handful of the most potentially dangerous ones we found.

Morgan Lake Dam in the City of Poughkeepsie
It was built in 1868 and was last inspected in 2015.

The Wappingers Falls Dam at Wappingers Creek
This dam was built in 1919 and received a "high hazard" warning in 2014

Mount Beacon Reservoir Dam
Also last inspected in 2014, this dam was built in 1922.

Goshen Reservoir #1 Dam
Built in 1963 this dam has been flagged as having downstream hazard potential in the event of a failure.

Warwick Reservoir Dam
Built in 1887 this dam has had a "C" rating since an inspection in 2013

Yankee Lake Dam in Mamakating
This 1844 Sullivan County dam was last inspected in 2014

Merriman Dam in Wawarsing
This dam has been located on Roundout Creek since 1945.

Cooper Lake Dam in Woodstock
Over 200 years old, this dam was built in 1800 and was most recently inspected  in April of 2014

These are just a few of the dams that have received a "High Hazard" grade. Inspection records for all dams in the Hudson Valley are available from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.