U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to work with the local Boonville community, as well as the Hudson River-Black River Regulating District, to prevent the Hawkinsville Dam from being torn down.

Schumer explained that, as part of an ongoing study of the dam’s impacts, one option that the District is considering is tearing the dam down altogether. Residents and local officials in the Town of Boonville, however, do not want the Hawkinsville Dam removed due to the critical role it plays in the local economy. If the dam were to be removed, there would likely no longer be still water for boating, swimming and fishing in the river, and water levels would likely be significantly reduced, which in turn would negatively impact shallow wells in the Town of Boonville. Schumer noted that even though the bridge is 100 years old, the DEC considers the bridge to be in solid structural condition. In fact, DEC recently reclassified the dam from a grade of “B” to a grade of “A,” which means it is considered to be low hazard. Instead of tearing the dam down, Schumer is urging the state DEC to work with the District and local Boonville officials to move forward with upgrades to the dam that will preserve it for the long term.