Upper Saranac Foundation asks state to pay share of dam repairs 

DEC cites responsibility of dam owners to maintain structures in safe condition 

By Zachary Matson

As the Upper Saranac Foundation moves ahead with over $2 million in repairs to its Bartlett Carry Dam, its leaders argue the largest landowner benefitting from the dam’s presence should pay its fair share  —  the state of New York.

“Our hope is every stakeholder steps up to the plate,” Tom Swayne, chair of the foundation, said during a recent visit to the dam construction site. “If the water emptied out of here, Fish Creek Campground wouldn’t work.”

The dam, on private property between Upper Saranac Lake and Middle Saranac Lake, maintains water levels on Upper Saranac and a series of interconnected ponds and lakes.

The dam supports the shorelines for private camp owners and state facilities, such as the popular Fish Creek Campground and public boat launches. If the dam failed, it would raise water levels on Middle and Lower Saranac lakes by over a foot and inundate numerous wetland areas in the chain of lakes, according to engineering studies. Without the dam, lake levels on Upper Saranac would fall 6 to 10 feet, according to the foundation.

Since a significant portion of the shoreline bolstered by the dam is part of the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest, the foundation argues the state should chip in to fund renovations.

Swayne and Guy Middleton, a lake manager employed by the foundation, said the foundation is advancing the repairs as quickly as possible rather than waiting for state grants or other financing. It has raised over $2 million primarily from private property owners.

The state’s stance

State officials are well aware of the project. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s dam safety division has worked through the designs and permitting of the project to ensure the repairs will bring the structure in line with state standards.

DEC in a statement did not directly address whether it should fund repairs close to state property. The statement did note the responsibility of owners “for maintaining and operating their dam in a safe condition at all times.”

The statement also highlighted grant funding available for dam repair and replacement. Thanks to recently expanded qualifications, nonprofit owners of intermediate-hazard dams, like Bartlett Carry, can now apply for the grants.

Awardees can backdate contracts with the state to May 15, according to the DEC statement. 

Middleton and Swayne said they did not plan to apply for the grant, due later this month, because they feared it would delay construction. As the foundation planned the repairs in recent years, most government dam funding focused on high-hazard or municipally-owned structures. 

“As a private owner, we haven’t had much opportunity for grants,” said Middleton. “We didn’t want to wait, we wanted to make sure this dam was secure.” 

Project overview

The construction project, which Middleton said he hopes concludes “before snow flies,” is a complete overhaul of the 335-foot-long dam. 

Consisting of two concrete spillways and a long earthen embankment, the dam traces its roots to past logging operations. It was0built in the mid-1800s and reconstructed in 1913 and 1994.

The foundation was formed in the early 1990s to take ownership and responsibility for the dam. While the foundation has since grown its programs to include water monitoring and invasive species prevention, the dam remains core to its mission. 

During high water in 2018, a sinkhole formed along the dam’s embankment. Caused by slow seepage of water through the dam’s fill, the sinkhole forced emergency repairs and spurred a more comprehensive evaluation of the structure. That assessment led to the current construction project. 

Swayne said the project aims to get the dam “ready for the next generation.” 

Earlier this month crews were working to stabilize the northern spillway. The work involved bolstering the structure’s upstream face with new concrete and extending and strengthening abutment walls.

New rip-rap stone was being positioned at the base of the spillway. The earthen embankment will be raised to ensure the dam can withstand higher volumes of water. Later this summer, work will shift to the southern spillway.  

“Doing this work is really to assure that we will have a secure dam,” Middleton said. 

Top photo: Repair work at the Bartlett Carry Dam is ongoing this summer. Photo by Zachary Matson