Cold Spring Dam (Lower) dam
Cold Spring Dam (Lower)
Cold Spring Dam (Lower) is a stone dam located in North Highland, Putnam, New York, on Foundry Brook. Built in 1942, it serves as a crucial water supply source with a storage capacity of 70 acre-feet. The dam stands at 25 feet tall, stretching 328 feet in length, and has a spillway width of 31 feet. However, recent assessments have deemed its condition as poor, posing a high hazard potential.
Despite being regulated by the NYS DEC and undergoing regular inspections, Cold Spring Dam (Lower) has been labeled as a moderate risk structure. With a history of modifications and a recent assessment in 2021, the dam's emergency action plan and risk management measures are under scrutiny. The dam's location in a region with a high potential for climate-related events underscores the importance of closely monitoring and maintaining this critical water resource infrastructure. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Cold Spring Dam (Lower) presents a fascinating case study of balancing water supply needs with the challenges of aging infrastructure and climate change.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Cold Spring Dam (Lower) -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| West Branch Croton River At Richardsville Ny | 4 cfs | → |
| W Br Croton River Below Dam Near Kent Cliffs Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| Muscoot River At Baldwin Place Ny | 4 cfs | → |
| Horse Pound Brook Near Lake Carmel Ny | 2 cfs | → |
| West Branch Croton River Near Carmel Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| Wappinger Creek Near Wappingers Falls Ny | 120 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cold Spring Dam (Lower).
Boat launches
- Market Street 114, Wappingers Falls
- Spring Street 51, Wappingers Falls
- Bear Mountain Bridge Road Cortlandt
- Hudson Avenue Peekskill
- Old Indian Trail 98, Town Of Marlborough
- Broadway Buchanan
Campgrounds
- Clarence Fahnestock State Park
- Round Pond Military
- Camping For Hikers On Ballfield Graymoor Center
- Blue Mountain Reservation
- Beaver Pond Campsite
- Beaver Pond - Harriman State Park
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Kent Bridge To Boardman Bridge
- Pond Downstream Of Shepaug Reservoir Dam, Marked By Service Road Bridge To Ends In Backwaters Of Lake Lillinonah, Near Roxbury Falls
- Begins Downstream Of The Borough Of Bantam, At Stoddard Road Bridge To The Confluence With The Shepaug River
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
Track Cold Spring Dam (Lower) in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Cold Spring Dam (Lower)
Where does the data for Cold Spring Dam (Lower) come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Cold Spring Dam (Lower).