A New Era of Dam Removal in New York State
Tim Koch
Scott Cuppett
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Albany, NY
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is taking decisive actions to advance and encourage dam removal throughout New York. This presentation highlights the many steps the NYSDEC is taking to increase the pace of dam removal.
Two new guidance documents steer applicants from project initiation to approved permit applications. The Reconnaissance Level Risk Assessment (RLRA) guides applicants through preliminary information gathering and generates a benefit-risk ratio by quantitatively comparing the known impacts of the continued presence of the dam to the potential risks of removal. Considering the environmental, social, and resilience impacts of not removing a dam provides regulators and technical staff with a counterweight when considering the environmental risks associated with removal. The RLRA also initiates early applicant-regulator communication to increase collaboration and efficiency during the permitting process. A second guidance document presents a predictable, stream science-based sediment sampling and assessment framework that advocates for in-stream management whenever appropriate.
In addition to publishing public-facing guidance, the NYSDEC hosted an internal series of educational webinars on dam removal attended by over 400 regulators and technical staff from across the State that presented an overview of the States 7,000+ dams, dam impacts to riverine ecosystems, sediment management, ecosystem response to removal, and permitting. This generated a Departmental knowledge base and enthusiasm for dam removal as a form of stream restoration. The series also highlighted several state grant programs that fund dam removals and advocated for regulatory support of state-funded projects.
The NYSDEC facilitates an internal Dam Removal Working Group, which is working with the Dam Safety section to include language about removal as an option that owners can take when issued enforcement letters for non-compliance with safety regulations. The group is also working with the Division of Environmental Permits on a RLRA-informed general permit for low-risk dam removals. NYSDEC is also collaborating with external non-profits, academia, and advocates in a NYS dam removal community of practice to advance a dam removal “project pipeline” from outreach and inception to implementation and monitoring.
Together, these actions provide a coordinated approach to a new era of dam removal in NYS.
About Tim Koch
Keith Binsted is the lead designer for Underwood & Associates and has significant experience in designing, engineering, and permitting stormwater management, outfall restoration, stream restoration, and living shoreline projects. He uses Underwood & Associates’ Regenerative Design philosophy to design Regenerative Stream Channel (RSC), Step-Pool Stormwater Conveyance (SPSC), and Dynamic Living Shoreline (DLS) projects. Keith has extensive project experience in rapid and intensive assessment of streams within both the piedmont and coastal plain ecoregions of Maryland and Washington D.C. Notably, he has previously provided stream assessment support for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Keith is a formally trained watershed scientist providing the wide range of habitat assessments, site surveys, design plans, engineering analyses, and permitting services necessary to progress a project from conceptual to fully permitted. His skills include a wide variety of sampling techniques and data analysis tools including the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) Index of Biotic Integrity for both fish (FIBI) and macroinvertebrate (BIBI) communities, geographic information systems (GIS), hydrologic and hydraulic numerical modeling programs, ecological uplift projections, and TMDL nutrient load reduction calculations.
About Camille Calure
Camille Calure is a research assistant at Underwood & Associates, and has experience in maintaining comprehensive monitoring programs for Regenerative Stream Channel (RSC) and Dynamic Living Shoreline (DLS) restorations, multifaceted field data collection, and science education and outreach. Following the Regenerative Design philosophy, she engages in scientific inquiry based around questions of ecosystem function and health as a complex interplay of many factors. Camille monitors aspects of restorations such as weather, hydrology, water quality, vegetation, and fauna to provide insight into the environmental impacts of stream restorations and living shoreline projects. Her skills include comprehensive understanding of the Stream Functions Framework, familiarity with Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) protocols, proficiency with monitoring equipment and fieldwork protocols, and engaging audiences with science. Notably, she has mentored several undergraduate interns as they completed scientific research projects from start to finish. Camille also enjoys educating children of all ages about the importance of wetland ecosystems whenever the opportunity arises, and believes the best way to get people to care for the environment is to spark their curiosity for the intricate systems that sustain us.