On this date in 1922, the Hudson River Regulating District was formed! On August 2, 1922 the Water Control Commission held the second of two hearings (the first having been held on July 25) following its receipt of a petition it had received on July 8, granting the petition at the conclusion of the hearing and entering a final order creating the Regulating District.
Momentum toward legislation which would allow for the creation of river regulating districts had increased significantly in New York State following devasting flooding in the spring of 1913. Damming the Sacandaga River to create a storage reservoir had been proposed as early as 1907, but the proposal did not gain traction. But following the unprecedented damage and public health impacts related to the Great Flood of 1913 in cities like Albany, consensus began to develop around a Legislative proposal to address the issues of flooding, as well as maintaining stable river flows during the drier, summer months.
The Machold Storage Law was enacted by the New York State Legislature through Chapter 622 of the Laws of 1915. This law provided for the creation of river regulating districts, with powers to construct, maintain and operate reservoirs therein for the purpose of regulating downstream flows for flood protection, and for flow augmentation during the typically drier summer months for sanitary and hydropower benefits.
The Black River Regulating District was formed in 1919, and the Hudson River Regulating District on this date in 1922. (The two entities were combined by the New York State Legislature in 1959 to create the Hudson River – Black River Regulating District.)
The only major project constructed by the Hudson River Regulating District was the Conklingville Dam, which formed what is now known as the Great Sacandaga Lake by damming the Sacandaga River at the hamlet of Conklingville. The story of the dam’s construction and the creation of the resulting storage reservoir is depicted in the documentary film:
Harnessing Nature: Building the Great Sacandaga.
We are immensely proud of our century of service, particularly as we celebrate 100 years in the Hudson River Area. Thanks to a $40 million commitment from Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, in the next few years the Conklingville Dam will receive the necessary capital investment it will require for another century of service to the people in the region.
