After years of uncertainty, a long-stalled plan to fix the Burden Lake Dam is officially moving ahead.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation reached an agreement with Rensselaer County, the Town of Sand Lake, and the Burden Lake Preservation Corporation to rehabilitate the aging dam and resolve long-standing safety violations.
The agreement, known as an Order on Consent, lays out a path to upgrade the intermediate-hazard dam and bring it into compliance with state safety standards. Local legislatures and the preservation corporation’s board have approved the plan.
“These local communities understand the need to take decisive action to address dam safety violations and worked closely with DEC to develop an effective solution,” said DEC Region 4 Director Sean Mahar. “This consent order is an important example of how dam owners can resolve noncompliance, preserve their dams, and in doing so, ensure the opportunities for fishing and other recreational activities for residents and visitors.”
The order settles a pending DEC enforcement action and includes a schedule for engineering studies, safety planning, and construction milestones. It also reduces payable penalties tied to the violations.
Rensselaer County officials said the agreement protects county interests while allowing work to move forward.
“Rensselaer County welcomes this resolution and looks forward to the engineering assessment of the dam, which may include possible future uses of the Burden Lake Road,” county spokesman Richard Crist said. The road segment atop the dam has remained closed since 2021.
Town of Sand Lake Supervisor Stephen Clemens said the town will continue working with its partners to bring the dam up to standard.
“The Town of Sand Lake is committed to working with DEC and the other parties to ensure that the Burden Lake Dam meets all applicable standards,” Clemens said.
Leaders of the Burden Lake Preservation Corporation called the agreement a major step forward.
“This milestone will allow the BLPC to achieve its objective to preserve the water levels, property values, and the ecosystem of Burden Lake for future generations,” said dam committee chairman Larry McKeough. He added that the group hopes to secure FEMA grant funding to support the project.
Burden Lake spans the towns of Sand Lake and Nassau and sits near about 340 homes. The lake offers year-round fishing, public cartop boat launches, and recreation for residents and visitors.
The dam dates back to 1863 and was originally built to store water for mills along Wynantskill Creek. Today, it includes a road embankment, spillway, containment berm, and a weir across the creek.
DEC officials said the compliance plan includes deadlines for an emergency action plan, engineering assessment, inspection updates, permit applications, and construction work.
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