CROGHAN DAM NEEDS WORK

CROGHAN — A small dam serving the water-powered Croghan Island Mill Lumber Co. has needed repairs for decades.

However, with little money to spare, owners of the 150-year-old business are concerned that a renewed call for compliance from the state Department of Environmental Conservation could ultimately lead to bankruptcy and loss of a community landmark.

"If the DEC isn't willing to work with us, then we're out of business," said James M. Martin, part owner of the family-owned company and Lewis County's emergency services director and fire coordinator. "The Croghan Island Mill as we know it would cease to exist. We can't afford to fix it. We can't afford to fight the DEC."

However, a solution could come from the Lewis County Development Corp., which is working on a project to renovate the dam and develop it into a self-sustaining operation.

"There are things that can be done at the site," said LCDC member and past village Mayor Glen A. Gagnier, who is spearheading the project. "We are making progress. We are working on it."

AN OLD PROBLEM

According to Times archives, a local committee was formed in 1989 to explore ways to repair the concrete dam on the Beaver River after it was declared unsafe by DEC engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers first deemed the concrete structure unsafe in 1981, DEC officials said at the time.

However, no repairs have yet been made.

"We are in the process of negotiating with multiple owners to arrive at a solution which brings the dam to a safe condition," said Stephen W. Litwhiler, Region 6 DEC spokesman at the Watertown office.

Because the situation involves ongoing negotiations, other information, including any prospective timetables, may not be disclosed, Mr. Litwhiler said.

Mr. Martin said he understands DEC's concern, since that agency would have some liability if the dam were ever to break. It is considered a Class C hazard, the highest level, because there are three houses directly below it on the small island, he said.

However, dam owners in January were told by DEC officials that a study, costing up to $140,000, should be commissioned to determine the dam's structural stability even before any work is done, Mr. Martin said.

"We don't have the money to spend to do this," he said. "And the grant money for that type of structure has pretty much dried up."

The state agency would have the authority to breach or remove the dam at the owners' expense, but Mr. Martin said he hopes things will never come to that.

The dam essentially maintains a pond off Bridge Street from which local fire departments may draw water, he said.

"It's fire protection for the whole village," the emergency manager said.

The village several years ago also developed a small park along the dammed-up portion of the river, and nearby farmers rely on the relatively high water levels for grazing their cattle, he said.

The two-part dam is also a community landmark, with the manmade waterfall serving as part of the scenic backdrop from the rear deck at Schulz's Restaurant on Main Street.

OWNERSHIP ISSUES

The Croghan Island Mill Corp. and area resident Vaughn E. Zehr each own half of the 9.5-foot-high southern portion of the dam, while Beaverite Products Corp. owns the 11.5-foot-high northern portion.

The complex ownership arrangement became more muddied in 2006 when Beaverite sold its Bridge Street mill — but not its portion of the dam — to Interface Sealing Solutions, Wrightsville, Pa.

Beaverite is now essentially a shell corporation "in the hands of a lawyer," Mr. Gagnier said.

While the entity likely would give up its stake in the dam for the cost of legal fees, it isn't expected to provide any money or support toward a rehabilitation project, he said.

Beaverite has failed to pay taxes on its portion of the dam for the past few years, and Mr. Zehr, who also doesn't use it, has unpaid bills dating back to the mid-1990s, according to Lewis County Treasurer Vicki A. Roy.

While land taxes on the small parcels are literally only a few dollars per year, the county also collects district assessments on behalf of the Hudson River-Black River Regulating District that amount to more than $5,000 annually on the two dam portions, she said.

The town of Croghan or the county for many years could have taken Mr. Zehr's part of the dam for back taxes, but both have declined.

"Nobody knew what to do with it," Mrs. Roy said.

Glen A. LaFave, local administrator of the Hudson River-Black River Regulating District, said the unpaid assessments from the dam would be useful but don't constitute a large part of the district's budget.

"We know it's unlikely we're going to get that revenue," Mr. LaFave said.

THE HISTORY

The concrete dam in Croghan was built in 1918, replacing wooden dams at the location built in 1848 and 1893, according to Mr. Gagnier.

Local legend has it that community members worked around the clock to complete the concrete structure, he said.

"The community had a stake in it," Mr. Gagnier said.

The lumber company, at which a few family members manufacture handmade windows, doors and other wood products, has historically used the water to power its equipment. Even with the regulating district assessment, hydropower remains a cheaper option than switching to electric motors, Mr. Martin said.

The village in 2006 commissioned a $42,000, state-funded study on the feasibility of taking over the dam and converting it for use as a municipal power generation facility, Mr. Gagnier said. However, the plan was deemed unfeasible, he said.

AND NOW...

LCDC has submitted an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to study the feasibility of a small hydroelectric project at the dam. The proposal would feature two turbine generators with a total capacity of 450 kilowatts, a 75-by-35-foot powerhouse and a 360-foot-long, 13.2-kilovolt transmission line.

Mr. Gagnier also has enlisted the assistance of engineering students at Clarkson University, Potsdam, and environmental studies students at St. Lawrence University, Canton, to complete a historical survey of the dam and offer ideas for potential green energy applications at the site.

Two professors visited the site in early February and were given reams of information on the structure, he said.

Mr. Gagnier plans to meet with them again early next month but doesn't expect to have a package in place to solicit grant funding for at least six months.

Funding may be available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency upon completion of the county's hazard mitigation plan later this year, he said.

The Croghan Island Mill Lumber Co. recently was added to the state Register of Historic Places, and plans are under way to get it on the national listing as well, Mr. Gagnier said.

That designation should not only open the project to historic preservation funding but also put a roadblock in the way of any demolition plans, he said.

Mr. Gagnier said he ultimately hopes to come up with a project that will be self-sustaining but still provide power to the mill.

"That's what gives it the historical significance, so you don't want to take that away," he said.