News Release

November 6, 2006

GREAT SACANDAGA LAKE PREVENTS FLOODING Great Sacandaga Lake Reduces Peak Hudson Flow by 68% in October The Great Sacandaga Lake has stored more than 10.4 billion cubic feet of water since mid-October, preventing flooding on the Hudson River from the Town of Hadley to Fort Edward.  The State’s largest river regulating reservoir stored 77,792,000,000 gallons of water since October 17, reducing the average Hudson River flow by at least 21,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) on October 28. 

Precipitation for the month of October has averaged more than 200 percent of normal.  The Regulating District’s precipitation stations at Indian Lake, Northville and Conklingville Dam recorded 7.75, 8.47, and 7.65 inches of rain, respectively, in October.  Typically, Northville receives 3.47 inches of rain in the month.

Without the river regulation provided by the Great Sacandaga Lake, peak flow in the Hudson River would have exceeded 31,000 cfs from Hadley to Fort Edward.  If the Great Sacandaga Lake reservoir did not exist, the Hudson River would have exceeded the flood stage by almost six inches.  The Hudson River is considered above flood stage at Fort Edward when the flow exceeds approximately 23,600 cfs. 

According to the National Weather Service, a Hudson River flow of 31,000 cfs, or ½ foot above flood stage at Fort Edward, inundates River Road in Northumberland, approaches Route 9N in Corinth, and begins to affect homes along Old Bend Road in the Town of Moreau.
 
Although the elevation of the Great Sacandaga Lake has increased 9.5 feet since October 17, the reservoir can retain an additional 1.82 billion cubic feet (13,613,600,000 gallons) before reaching the spillway elevation of 771.0 feet.  The Great Sacandaga Lake reservoir is designed to operate and store water to an elevation exceeding 778 feet.

“The importance of using the State’s reservoirs to their fullest potential to minimize flooding is easily realized following a rain event like this.  The Upper Hudson / Sacandaga River Offer of Settlement, which contains the operating plan for the Great Sacandaga Lake, takes full advantage of the reservoir’s storage capacity,” said Robert S. Foltan, P.E. Chief Engineer at the Regulating District.