Silver Lake (Woodridge, New York)
Encyclopedia
Silver Lake, one of three by that name in Sullivan County
, New York, United States, is located just southeast of the village of Woodridge
. It was created in the 1840s when Sandburg Creek was dammed
to provide reliable water for the "summit", or highest-elevation, section of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
, between Wurtsboro
and Napanoch
. After the canal closed, the 85 acres (34.4 ha) lake that had been created, initially called Woods Lake, became an attraction for guests at the Jewish summer resort communities in that area of the Catskill Mountains
.
The lake is irregularly shaped, along a northwest-southeasterly axis roughly two-thirds of a mile long, 85 acres (34.4 ha) in surface area when full. One bay on the south side is crossed by the former right-of-way of the Orange & Western Railroad; a stone culvert
underneath connects it with the main lake. The northwest end lies in the village of Woodridge, which has built a small park along the lake around a beach that established itself in the early resort days. Another beach developed at the opposite end, just north of the dam. There are some houses and businesses with lake frontage, but other than that its shores remain undeveloped.
In 1999, water undermined some sections of the original dam and caused a breach, draining the lake to merely one-quarter its size. The village sought and received state and federal grants to repair the dam and restore the lake, whose near-absence had hurt local business. However, the state Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC), the Conservation Commission's successor as regulator of dams, held up repairs while it considered whether to reclassify the dam as higher risk in case of failure, which could have raised the cost and forced a redesign. After eventually getting approval from DEC and putting the project out for bid, a redesign of the dam that preserved its historic character, the village suffered another setback when the lowest bid
came back at $1.5 million, almost twice what the project had been budgeted for.
The village is in the process of building a wastewater treatment plant
that will discharge into the lake along the south side just past its park. In 2006, the state Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) had obtained a consent decree
requiring that the village address the sewage spills that frequently occurred in heavy rains. It had been using a Town of Fallsburg plant some distance from the village, but that hadn't been enough.
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
, New York, United States, is located just southeast of the village of Woodridge
Woodridge, New York
Woodridge is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 902 at the 2000 census.The Village of Woodridge is in the Town of Fallsburg at the junction of Routes 53, 54, 58, and 158. The postal code is 12789.- History :...
. It was created in the 1840s when Sandburg Creek was dammed
Silver Lake Dam
Silver Lake Dam is located off Silver Lake Road, just outside the village of Woodridge, New York, United States. It was built in the 1840s to regulate Sandburg Creek, which provided water to the summit of the Delaware and Hudson Canal 10 miles to the southeast...
to provide reliable water for the "summit", or highest-elevation, section of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
, between Wurtsboro
Wurtsboro, New York
Wurtsboro is a village located on U.S. Route 209 in the town of Mamakating in Sullivan County, New York, United States, near its junction with New York State Route 17...
and Napanoch
Napanoch, New York
Napanoch is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York. It is at the junction of routes 209 and 55. It is on the Shawangunk Ridge National Scenic Byway, and is part of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area....
. After the canal closed, the 85 acres (34.4 ha) lake that had been created, initially called Woods Lake, became an attraction for guests at the Jewish summer resort communities in that area of the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
.
The lake is irregularly shaped, along a northwest-southeasterly axis roughly two-thirds of a mile long, 85 acres (34.4 ha) in surface area when full. One bay on the south side is crossed by the former right-of-way of the Orange & Western Railroad; a stone culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
underneath connects it with the main lake. The northwest end lies in the village of Woodridge, which has built a small park along the lake around a beach that established itself in the early resort days. Another beach developed at the opposite end, just north of the dam. There are some houses and businesses with lake frontage, but other than that its shores remain undeveloped.
In 1999, water undermined some sections of the original dam and caused a breach, draining the lake to merely one-quarter its size. The village sought and received state and federal grants to repair the dam and restore the lake, whose near-absence had hurt local business. However, the state Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
(DEC), the Conservation Commission's successor as regulator of dams, held up repairs while it considered whether to reclassify the dam as higher risk in case of failure, which could have raised the cost and forced a redesign. After eventually getting approval from DEC and putting the project out for bid, a redesign of the dam that preserved its historic character, the village suffered another setback when the lowest bid
Unique bid auction
A unique bid auction is a type of strategy game related to traditional auctions where the winner is usually the individual with the lowest unique bid, although less commonly the auction rules may specify that the highest unique bid is the winner...
came back at $1.5 million, almost twice what the project had been budgeted for.
The village is in the process of building a wastewater treatment plant
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
that will discharge into the lake along the south side just past its park. In 2006, the state Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
(DEC) had obtained a consent decree
Consent decree
A consent decree is a final, binding judicial decree or judgment memorializing a voluntary agreement between parties to a suit in return for withdrawal of a criminal charge or an end to a civil litigation...
requiring that the village address the sewage spills that frequently occurred in heavy rains. It had been using a Town of Fallsburg plant some distance from the village, but that hadn't been enough.