Dams

Permanent dams have been built on the Hudson and some of its major tributaries for a variety of reasons including flood control, navigation, and electric generation. More than a century ago many smaller temporary dams were constructed as a method to move logs from Adirondack forests to saw mills and paper factories down stream.

Today, casually using Google Earth one can see 15 manmade structures designed to control the flow of water on the river from Troy to confluence of the Sacandaga River in Hadley. At least two seem to be artificial restructurings of natural waterfalls. Significant dams also control the flow of major tributaries like the Mohawk, Sacandaga, and Indian rivers.

While some of the reasons for dam building seem reasonable or necessary, design of these structures often ignores the potential negative impacts . The State of the Hudson 2009, an environmental report issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, states:

Dams and other blockages in streams are a problem for fish and wildlife. Many species must move up and downstream to find feeding and spawning areas or suitable temperature and oxygen levels. … In Orange County’s Moodna Creek watershed, aerial surveys revealed 204 dams. Including other types of obstacles like perched culverts the surveys found over 1,000 possible barriers in this watershed alone. Many no longer serve any practical purpose and could be removed. Among those that meet a real need, some might be replaced or modified - with fish ladders, for example - to reduce environmental impacts.