Reservoirs and Sediment Basins
Why Basins are Important In the early 1990s, an active program of utilizing upland in-stream sediment basins to capture sediment began in Warren County, spearheaded by the Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District (WCSWCD). The LGA provided project support and partial funding for several of these projects as well as funds to help maintain the sites. Old reservoirs were cleaned out and new in-stream sediment basins were created. By slowing stream velocity, basins allow sediment to drop out of suspension and be captured by the basin prior to reaching Lake George. The sediment comes from the streambed and banks, as well as from roads, development and logging. Once sediment reaches Lake George, it is difficult to remove. Dredging deltas of any significant size requires the approval of the many regulatory bodies as well as significant funding for the physical removal. Between 1992 and 2009, almost 12,000 cubic yards of sediment has been captured by these reservoirs and ponds and removed. These efforts go hand-in-hand with upland protection efforts such as stormwater remediation projects and town planning and zoning initiatives, and are not meant to supplant these important upland restoration and protection initiatives. For a more complete history on the program and map of the basin locations please see the WCSWCD 2005 and 2007 reports (2005 Report - pdf or 2007 Report - pdf). Examples of Reservoir and Sediment Basin Projects: Artist Falls Sediment Basin - Finkle Brook – Bolton
Located approximately one-half mile upstream of Lake George on Finkle Brook is the old Sagamore Resort water supply reservoir. This reservoir was created in the early 1900s and believed to be abandoned in the 1950s. Approximately 1.5 surface acres in size, it had a stone and mortar dam in marginal shape, and was completely filled with sediment. Sizable trees, shrubs, and other vegetation were growing on solid ground. Since it was cost prohibitive to re-establish the original capacity of the reservoir (tens of thousands of yards), only a small portion was excavated. The sediment basin was constructed in three days in the summer of 1999, following three years of administration and permitting with the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE). Maintenance dredging continues on the basin today, as more than 2,300 cubic yards of sediment has been removed to date. Gage Brook Reservoir - Town of Lake George
Gage Brook Reservoir is an old water supply reservoir located off Prospect Mountain Highway in the town of Lake George, approximately three quarters of a mile downstream of Ore Bed Reservoir. Gage Brook Reservoir still captures a significant amount of sediment and debris on an annual basis (up to 200 cubic yards per year). This reservoir has been the most consistently maintained under the sediment basin program, due to the speed at which it fills with sediment and the relative ease of cleaning it out. Gage Brook Reservoir has been cleaned out more than any other reservoir in the watershed and over 2,100 cubic yards of sediment and debris have been removed.
Gatehouse Property - Huddle Brook Basin - Bolton Working with the homeowners of the Gatehouse Association, the LGA created a small in-stream basin at the mouth of Huddle Brook. The basin is about 100 feet in length and has the storage capacity of about 350 cubic yards. The entry and discharge transition zones are stone lined to connect the basin with the gravel bed of the original stream. As per the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation permit, four large rocks were placed just upstream of the basin to help establish fish habitat. Also, a grass lined floodplain was created to add stability to the northern streambank. The project was designed by Myers Engineering and the basin was constructed in 2006 by Kingsley Construction. Just over 100 cubic yards of materials were removed from the basin in 2009 during its first maintenance cycle. Hague Brook Sediment Basin - Upper - Town of Hague
The basin acts as an off-line basin so that it receives most of its flow during storm events. It is about 135 feet long and 35 feet wide and has a capacity of about 800 cubic yards. The photo at the top of the page shows the basin looking upstream and the photo on the left shows the basin looking downstream. It was built with a concrete flow diversion device that allows for the stream flow to be diverted back into the main channel during maintenance. It has been cleaned out several times by the Hague Town Highway Department working with WCSWCD. They have removed hundreds of cubic yards of sediment, preventing it from entering the Lake. Hague Brook Sediment Basin - Lower - Town of Hague A second sediment basin located at the mouth of the Hague Brook was added in 2007. The Lake George Land Conservancy owns the The stream was widened and deepened to allow for the stream to slow down to allow for sediment to drop out. Prior to construction of the basin, some non-native trees were removed from the site to allow for better access. The basin is lined with riprap on both sides to provide stability to the streambanks, but is unlined on the bottom so that it can be easily maintained. This site has also captured hundreds of cubic yards of material, preventing it from entering Lake George and increasing the size of the Hague Brook delta. Hubble Reservoir – English Brook – Big Hollow Road – Town of Lake George
Hubble Reservoir is a man-made reservoir. Its dam is made with concrete, and with stone-and-mortar, and it has concrete sidewalls. Sediment readily accumulates in this reservoir and it will fill to capacity (approximately 600 cubic yards) in two to three years. The reservoir's ability to act as a basin (slowing the stream down so material can drop out) becomes non-existent as it reaches capacity. The first effort to clean-out the stream was completed by redirecting the stream into a culvert. Sandbags were placed across the streambed to direct the flow into the culvert. A pump was used to draw down the remaining clean water in the reservoir and pump it into the stream below the dam. Once the reservoir was dewatered, employees of the town and village of Lake George used a loader and excavator to remove the sediment and organic material, which was hauled off site to the Lake George landfill. This initial cooperative effort included the WCSWCD, the DEC, the town and village of Lake George, and the Lake George Association. The effort paid off as over 600 yards of material were removed from the site. Since that time, the dewatering process has been somewhat streamlined. A culvert was installed that allows the stream to be routed around the reservoir and back into the stream beyond the dam. The stream still needs to be directed into the culvert when the site needs to be dredged and this is typically done with sandbags or an earthen dam. The sluice gate at this site is not functioning properly and is being addressed to make the dewatering process quicker and less labor intensive. By excavating as much sediment and material as possible from this basin (approximately 600 cubic yards), the basin can once again slow the flow of the water and collect in-stream sediment. Streamlining the process allows for other sites to be maintained in a shorter time frame. Jenkins Brook Sediment Basin – Hague
Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District surveyed and developed the plans for a sediment basin located at the mouth of Jenkins Brook on Lake George. The Hague Town Highway Department conducted the work under the direction of the WCSWCD, and the Lake George Association funded a portion of the project costs. Jenkins Brook was diverted around the work site while an excavator widened and deepened the brook. The north side of the basin was stabilized with small riprap to prevent erosion. When the basin was completed, the entire site was graded and the WCSWCD hydro-seeded the grounds. The basin’s dimensions are approximately 100-feet long, 40-feet wide and 5-feet deep. The volume of the basin is approximately 400 cubic yards and is consistently maintained, removing about 200 cubic yards of sediment every two to three years.
Middle Brook Reservoir – Town of Bolton Middle Brook Reservoir is a small impoundment on Middle Brook in the town of Bolton. Another small old water supply reservoir which had filled in with sediment, this site is accessed from a driveway off Route 9N, just north of the stream. The LGA contracted with Meyers Engineering to plan and execute the clean-out of this small reservoir and to repair the concrete dam and spillway. Approximately 200 cubic yards of material were removed from this reservoir and the reservoir regained much of its original capacity. Ore Bed Reservoir – West Brook – Village of Lake George
Ore Bed Reservoir on West Brook is a man-made structure with a hybrid concrete and stone and mortar dam. Ore Bed is one of the easier basins to maintain and is dewatered with the use of an off-line ditch adjacent to the reservoir. Prior to the ditch receiving flow from the stream, it is first lined with stabilization fabric or plastic liner in order to support the stream flow. The stream is then blocked and diverted into the ditch, bypassing the basin and eventually returning the stream flow to West Brook below the reservoir. Once the stream is diverted, the water in the reservoir is either pumped out or released with the sluice gate at the bottom of the dam. Following dewatering, a long-reach excavator enters the reservoir and excavates the material directly into trucks, which haul the material away to the landfill and transfer station. Over 1,500 yards of material have been removed from the Ore Bed Reservoir basin. Woodshire Estates Sediment Basin – Finkle Brook Tributary – Bolton The Woodshire Estates basin has been cleaned out several times since it was originally dredged in the 1990s, but it is a difficult site to maintain as a basin. We are working on some ideas to improve it. |
The completion in 2006 of the Hague Brook sediment basin represented many years of hard work and commitment from all of the parties involved. Access to the site for construction was granted by the property owner, Donald Smith, and includes an agreement for maintenance access. Reale Construction was hired to complete the work and was assisted by the Hague Town Highway Department and the WCSWCD. The basin was designed by Myers Engineering.
property to north of the brook and approached Warren County Soil and Water to design and construct a sediment basin at this location. It is an ideal spot with easy access for maintenance and is the last location to trap sediment before it is deposited on the enormous delta located just beyond the mouth of the stream. The LGA and New York Department of State (NYS DOS) provided funding for this project along with in-kind services from the Hague Town Highway Department.
Some text and photos provided by the Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District
Additional funding for some of the projects was provided through the NYS DOS under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund
