The Dunham Dam: Cost, Responsibility, and Available Funding
A closer look at how rehabilitation can be funded and where decision-making stands
A Note From the Author
I never intended to become an amateur expert on earthen dam engineering, federal funding programs, or flood risk assessment. I am a longtime patron of New York State Parks, and Grafton Lakes State Park in particular, who started asking questions when the Feasibility Study was released last June and could not stop. What I found surprised me, and I think it will surprise you as well.
I have done my best to represent this information accurately, but I am not an engineer, a hydrologist, or a policy professional. Please do your own research, draw your own conclusions, and engage directly with the agencies and officials responsible for this dam. An informed community is the best advocate for itself.
When people hear that rehabilitating the Martin Dunham Reservoir dam could cost in the range of $20 million, the conversation often stops there. It can feel like an insurmountable number, especially when local taxpayers wonder whether that cost could fall to them.
Based on how these programs are structured, rehabilitation costs are typically not borne directly by local taxpayers. A closer look also suggests that funding availability may not be the primary constraint.
I put this together because the question of funding comes up constantly, and there are real misconceptions worth clearing up. When state agencies eventually release an update on how they plan to address the dam’s High Hazard rating, a classification that has now stood for 3,000 days, readers deserve to understand what the funding landscape actually looks like.
The Funding Exists. It Is Not Hypothetical.
There are viable funding sources across federal grants, federal loans, and state programs for which the Dunham dam has clear, documentable eligibility. These are not obscure programs. They are active, funded mechanisms designed for situations like this: an aging, state-owned dam with a documented safety deficiency and a High Hazard classification.
No single source needs to cover the entire cost. The typical model is a primary federal grant covering 65 to 75 percent of project costs, with state funds making up the remainder. The dam’s Class C High Hazard designation, which might seem like a complication, is in practice one of the primary eligibility credentials across many of these programs.
Here is what that landscape looks like in practice.
Federal Grants
USDA NRCS Watershed Rehabilitation Program (REHAB)
Covers up to 65 percent of construction costs for aging dams that no longer meet safety criteria. Eligibility depends on whether Dunham was originally built with Soil Conservation Service assistance, which is a research question worth pursuing. If confirmed, this would open a significant additional funding pathway.
USDA NRCS Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO)
Does not require prior NRCS construction history and is funded with $500 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Rensselaer County Soil and Water Conservation District could serve as a local sponsor. This program remains underutilized in state park contexts and represents a direct federal pathway that does not depend on original construction history.
State Programs
NYS Environmental Bond Act of 2022
Explicitly funds repair and rehabilitation of state-owned dams classified as Class C High Hazard. OPRHP is an eligible applicant. Dunham meets the stated criteria: state ownership, Class C classification, and documented safety deficiency. The relevant question is not whether the dam qualifies, but how it is being evaluated and scheduled within existing capital priorities.
NYS DEC Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program
Funds dam safety repair and rehabilitation up to $15 million per award. A notable feature of WQIP is that a nonprofit organization, such as a formally organized Friends of Dunham Reservoir, can apply directly without requiring DEC or OPRHP to lead. Round 22 is expected to open in May 2026.
NYS FY2027 DEC NY Works Capital Program
A $90 million capital appropriation, not a competitive grant. The FY2027 budget explicitly includes dam safety as a funded priority. A key question for DEC Region 4 is whether the Dunham dam appears on the capital repair list for this cycle.
NYS FY2027 OPRHP NY Works Capital Program
Includes $200 million for infrastructure repair across the state park system. Grafton Lakes State Park is an OPRHP facility. The corresponding question for OPRHP is whether the Dunham dam is included on the FY2027 capital project list.
What This Means
Across these funding sources, access generally runs through DEC or OPRHP, rather than through local municipalities or local tax revenue. This reflects how New York’s infrastructure funding system is structured. Repairs to the Dunham dam are a state responsibility with federal cost-sharing opportunities available.
DEC’s mandate includes dam safety oversight, watershed protection, and water quality. OPRHP’s mandate includes stewardship and capital maintenance of New York’s state park infrastructure. Rehabilitation of the Martin Dunham Reservoir dam falls within both.
This work aligns directly with the stated missions of these agencies.
The funding appears to exist. The eligibility is documentable. The mission alignment is clear across multiple programs. Several of these sources can be combined, and no single program needs to carry the full cost. What appears to be missing is not funding availability, but a formal decision on how to proceed. Each delay also introduces additional cost.
The Clock Is Running and So Is the Cost
The $20 million figure reflects current engineering estimates for full rehabilitation and preservation of the reservoir. It is unlikely to remain static. Construction costs for infrastructure projects have risen sharply in recent years, and ongoing economic volatility and tariff uncertainty continue to influence that trajectory. Each year of delay carries financial implications, as project costs tend to increase over time.
The cost of delay is not measured only in dollars. Each passing month is another without a completed Emergency Action Plan. Another without updated flood mapping for major storm events, including hurricanes and significant snowmelt. Another in which residents, visitors, and downstream communities live with a dam that the state’s own regulators have rated High Hazard and Unsound for more than 3,000 days.
Time is not neutral.
On February 3, 2026, DEC gave NYS Parks 60 days to provide a plan and schedule for completing the overdue Engineering Assessment. That deadline is April 4, 2026. The timeline is active.
There is a clear need for transparent, regular public updates on the status of the Engineering Assessment, the Emergency Action Plan, and any rehabilitation planning underway. The public has a reasonable interest in understanding where this process stands.
Eight Years. No Plan. No Deadline Met.
The dam has carried an Unsound High Hazard classification since February 2018, with DEC’s own language stating that the safety of the dam cannot be assured. A required Engineering Assessment was due in February 2023 and has not been submitted. On February 3, 2026, DEC gave NYS Parks 60 days to provide a plan. That deadline is April 4, 2026.
The funding landscape described here has been available throughout that entire period. This suggests that funding availability may not have been the primary limiting factor.
Disclaimer
The information presented in this article is intended for general public awareness and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, engineering, financial, or policy advice. Funding program details, eligibility criteria, and appropriation amounts are subject to change. Readers are encouraged to verify all information independently through official federal and state agency sources.
The author has no affiliation with any of the funding programs described. This article reflects personal research and analysis and does not represent the position of any government agency, elected official, or professional organization.
Learn more and follow updates at savedunham.org
Sources
The following documents are cited or referenced in this article. Readers are encouraged to review them directly.
- Martin Dunham Reservoir Feasibility Study (June 2025)
- The engineering feasibility study examining rehabilitation options for the dam. Available through savedunham.org.
- DEC Letter to NYS Parks, February 3, 2026
- The formal notice from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation directing submission of a plan and schedule for completing the overdue Engineering Assessment, and designating the dam as posing “a potential substantial threat to the public health or the environment.” Available through savedunham.org.
- NYS Dam Safety Inspection Record, Martin Dunham Reservoir
- The DEC’s dam inspection history and condition rating records, including the Unsound – Deficiency Recognized classification issued February 2018. Searchable through the NYS Dam Inventory via dec.ny.gov.
Funding Program Links
USDA NRCS Watershed Rehabilitation Program (REHAB)
- nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/watershed-rehabilitation-program
- USDA NRCS Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO)
- nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/watershed-protection-and-flood-prevention
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP)
- usace.army.mil/missions/civil-works/infrastructure-financing
- NYS Environmental Bond Act of 2022
- dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/fund/environmental-bond-act
- NYS DEC Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program
- dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/fund/water-quality-improvement-project-program
- NYS Dam Safety Program
- dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/dam-safety-coastal-flood-protection/dam-safety
Further Reading
- NYS DEC Dam Safety Program
dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/dam-safety-coastal-flood-protection/dam-safety - NYS Dam Safety Regulations, Part 673
dec.ny.gov/regulatory/regulations - NYS DEC Hazard Classification Guidance (TOGS 3.1.5)
dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/togs315.pdf - Association of State Dam Safety Officials, New York Program Page
damsafety.org/new-york
Key Officials and Contacts
Readers who wish to contact the relevant agencies directly are encouraged to do so. The following contacts are publicly listed.
- NYS DEC Dam Safety Section
Donald E. Canestrari, P.E., Section Chief
NYS DEC Division of Water, Bureau of Flood Protection and Dam Safety
625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3504
Phone: (518) 402-8138
Email: damsafety@dec.ny.gov
General Dam Safety line: (518) 402-8185 - NYS DEC Region 4
Sean Mahar, Regional Director
1130 North Westcott Road, Schenectady, NY 12306
Phone: (518) 357-2068
General: (518) 357-2234
Email: r4info@dec.ny.gov - NYS OPRHP Saratoga-Capital District Regional Office
19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Regional Director: confirm current name directly with the office, as personnel may have changed
parks.ny.gov/regions/saratoga-capital-district - NYS OPRHP Central Office
625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12238
parks.ny.gov
A note on contacting officials: written correspondence, whether by email or postal mail, creates a record. If you contact these offices, consider copying your elected representatives.