Help us Save Duck Hole

[Wildernessphoto]

Some of us are starting a letter writing campaign to try and save Duck Hole. The DEC has no plans to replace the dam at Duck hole, so when the dam breaks, Duck hole will only be a memory. This started in another tread, but my thoughts were to dedicate a thread to fixing this problem.



The other thread:

http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=1429



We would like you to contact the DEC Commissioner on this subject at:

Erin M. Crotty
Commissioner
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233–1011
Tel:518–402–8540
Fax:518–402–9016
(Email: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/about/emailform.html )



the State Senator in the area is:

Elizabeth O’C. Little
Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee
45th Senate District

Albany Office
903 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-2811




District Office
21 Bay Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801
(518) 743-0968




Plattsburgh Office
305 West Bay Plaza
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 561-2430

E-mail Senator Elizabeth O’C. Little

We also have been in contact with a columnist in Lake Placid in hopes he will take up the cause, and write on the subject.



We would appreciate everyone's help in contacting these people, and asking them to make the replacement of this dam a priority.



Here is a copy of the letter I wrote to DEC Commissioner Erin Crotty:



Dear Commissioner,

I'm sending this email due to a concern about the dam at Duck Hole falling into dis-repair. Many members of the ADKforum.com are concerned that the loss of this dam would cause Duck Hole to disappear from the Adirondacks. This lake is a crown jewel in the Western High Peaks area, and the thought of it being lost forever, is unacceptable to many of us. This Lake has a well-established eco-system that needs to be preserved.

We are also concerned about the damage to Life, limb, and environment if this dam would break. The rush of water could kill anyone on the Cold River/Raquette River that was caught in its path. We would ask you to take a look at this problem, and make it a top priority. This dam needs to be replaced before irreparable damage is done.

I would appreciate hearing from you on this matter. I will be posting this letter on the forum, and encourage others to write to you on this subject.



We would offer any help we can in making this repair happen. I'm sure volunteers would line up to get this problem fixed.

Thank you for your time.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Gary F. Dean

Adminisrator, ADKforum.com

www.adkforum.com



Please do what you can, write, and forward this info to other forum's so we can put enough pressure on to save Duck Hole.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease!



Thanks!

-Gary-

[Wildernessphoto]

http://www.saveduckhole.com/

This site has been setup to help us centralize our efforts to preserve this Adirondack Treasure.

A new group has been formed out of this effort to save Duck Hole. Please check out;

https://www.backcountryheritage.com

Things are hopping on VFTT too!

http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4250

-Gary-

[Saratoga Filly]

Things are hopping on VFTT too!

http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4250

-Gary-

Awesome, thanks Gary!

[Wildernessphoto]

DEC Reply

I received a letter from Lawrence Nashett Regional Supervisor of Natural Resources for the DEC. He informs me that the Duck Hole Dam was inspected by the Regional Dam Safety Engineer in 2000 and was found to be in poor condition, and would only function for a few more years without maintenance...

He also says that "Repair and construction of the structure, which is about 8 feet high, and 125 feet wide would likely cost between $500,000 and $1,000,000 utilizing native material and rocks from the old dam."



I believe this could be built with volunteer labor for far less then the cost that he has quoted. If volunteers worked under the supervision of the Regional Dam Safety Engineer. It would require putting a team together of knowledgeable craftsman, and strong backs, as well as a team of horses. I'm going to propose such a venture to Mr. Nashett in my reply. If there are any volunteers out there, drop me a line and let me know of your interest. If any of you know of someone with a team of work horses that would be willing to work his team in a public venture like this, let me know that too.



His final paragraph states:

"Currently, There are no plans to repair the dam. Cost and policy issues, as well as public input such as yours will be weighed in determining the dam's fate."



Each of us can have an impact in what the State does with Duck Hole. If enough people contact the DEC Commissioner on getting this dam repaired, the DEC will need to take a look at doing the repairs.



I would encourage each of you reading this to take a minute and drop the commissioner an email by clicking on the link in the first post.



You really could make a difference!

I'll keep you posted on what's happening with this as things progress.

Thanks!
-Gary-

[Wildernessphoto]

Duck Hole from the causeway...

[Wildernessphoto]

Mid-Day at Duck Hole:

[Wildernessphoto]

McNaughton from Duck Hole

[Wildernessphoto]

The island by lean-to #2 on Duck Hole

[Wildernessphoto]

Santinoni from Duck Hole

[Wildernessphoto]

The Dam at Duck Hole...

[quietwind]

Gary,

I just had a thought. To save the dam, perhaps we could attack from another front as well. I don't know that much about the dam but if historical signicance could be proven to the right people perhaps it could be saved as a historical landmark. Is this the only dam of it time and type left? I don't know who would have to be contacted or how you would go about it but it's another shot in the dark. Perhaps an ADK member might know how to approach it from this aspect.

quietwind
(coldriverbobs little sister)

[Wildernessphoto]

Gary,

I just had a thought. To save the dam, perhaps we could attack from another front as well. I don't know that much about the dam but if historical signicance could be proven to the right people perhaps it could be saved as a historical landmark. Is this the only dam of it time and type left? I don't know who would have to be contacted or how you would go about it but it's another shot in the dark. Perhaps an ADK member might know how to approach it from this aspect.

quietwind
(coldriverbobs little sister)

Hi quietwind,
Thanks for pointing that out. Duckhole is almost 100 years old which would give it some standing I'm sure.
Artical 14 section 4 of the NYS constitution states in part:

"...and the dedication of properties so acquired
or now owned, which because of their natural beauty, wilderness
character, or geological, ecological or historical significance,
shall be preserved and administered for the use and enjoyment of
the people. Properties so dedicated shall constitute the state
nature and historical preserve and they shall not be taken or
otherwise disposed of except by law enacted by two successive
regular sessions of the legislature."

You may be on to something there.

Bob and I are doing research, and he has come up with some names of people who have worked on Duck Hole going back to the CC Camps. We're going to contact some people who have the inside track, find out how it was constructed, and the best way to save it. Then plan a trip to Ray Brook to talk with Lawrence Nashett, Regional Supervisor of Natural Resources, and hopfully speak with the Regional Dam Safety Engineer. I'm planning on drafting a letter this week to Mr. Nashett. We'll see what comes after that.

Thanks for your interest!
-Gary-

[Cold River Bob]

We need your help here are some of the people Gary and I have sent letters to,
If we are going to save Duckhole we need more letters
Govenor Pataki http://161.11.3.75/
Senator Schumer http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html
Senator Clinton http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
Senator Little http://www.senatorlittle.com/send_email.asp


Thanks

[Saratoga Filly]

Letters

Here's the letter I sent to each of the addresses above:

My father has been to Duck Hole many times through different ways over the last few years and absolutely loves making it a regular haunt. I finally made my first trek there this Labor Day weekend via Henderson Lake, canoeing and portaging.

Through his interest, I've followed the Open Space Institute (OSI) purchase of the Henderson/Tahawus Tract purchase and the story surrounding. He has talked several times with various park rangers and Adirondack enthusiasts about the condition of the dam at Duck Hole, as did I on this trip when we encountered a ranger on the Henderson portage. The consensus seems to be that the State has no plans of repairing or replacing the dam in its weakening condition, due to the Forever Wild Legislation. If/when this dam goes, it will leave the surrounding area-which is now a breath-taking lake & trailheads leading to many focal destinations- a barren swamp.

Having seen how mesmerized he is by the location, and now having seen it myself, fully understanding why he has been so captured by it, it blows my mind that the dam would be allowed to go. It seems illogical with the effort that the OSI put into this transaction, and now with the marketing of the Henderson avenue to the location for hiking, canoeing, skiing, etc. that something so fundamental to this end would be allowed to go.

Here are a few photos of which I speak:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fireandice9131/album?.dir=1b23&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

This location is the cross-roads of the Adirondacks and is a feeder to the Northville-Placid, and many other focal trails. With this becoming a swamp, it would destroy the current eco-system (including a healthy, breeding population of loons that are State Protected, among countless other species). Also with the current hot button issue of West Nile Virus, this can’t be in the best health interest of the residents of Newcomb, etc. let alone the vast foot/canoe traffic this area currently gets.

Another aspect of concern is, this is the same situation that was faced in regards to the dam at Marcy, which also falls under the same forever wild legislation. If one can be replaced, why not the other?

I’m willing to help in anyway possible - along with a great many more that I have discussed this at length with – to ensure that this treasure of the high peaks is not lost.

A group of us are planning a canoe trip to Duck Hole via Henderson Lake this Memorial Day weekend, please allow me to invite you as well to visit this jewel of the Adirondack Park.

I greatly anticipate your response, thank you for your time.

April Bates
etc. etc.

[soco7tyx7]

i had read this when it was being talked about, and i had concerns and i kind of forgot about them. as i read the event for memorial day, it got me thinking about the topic again. has there been any specific updates to anything that has been posted here, other than what the HP-UMP stated? i have never been to duck hole and would definitely love to go before it is gone, but i am planning on my NPT hike for next summer. is the dam expected to last that long?

also i had a few other thoughts. if they are to just let nature take its course on the dam, and it creates a huge swamp in that area, wouldnt it cost the DEC money to either re-route the NPT around it or make boardwalks too? it kind of seems like a lose-lose situation in terms of finances; they pay for it to be fixed and maintained, or they pay for the re-routing or installation of baordwalks on the trail.

if it is really what everybody says it is (which i believe it is), then i certainly wouldnt want to see it go either. if anyone could provide any insight, i'm all ears.