City staff told the Common Council on Sept. 10 that the 60‑Foot Dam (also called Potter’s Falls or Fourth Dam) on Six Mile Creek requires significant rehabilitation and that a FEMA grant of roughly $5.5 million is available for structural dam-safety improvements — but staff warned that dredging and other work could raise total costs to around $9–10 million.

Scott (water department staff) described the dam as built in 1911 of cyclopean concrete and said the structure has accumulated approximately 25 feet of sediment behind the face, rendering the low-level sluice gate inoperable and covering the higher intake. "There’s 25 feet of sediment that's about 96 foot dam," Scott said, noting that the gate no longer works and the low-level outlet has likely been inoperable for decades. Staff said the gatehouse also has structural problems and that portions of the dam's downstream wear surface (gunite) are deteriorated.

The federal assistance described by staff covers dam-safety improvements (repairs to gatehouse, stabilizing anchors, resurfacing and other structural elements) but does not fully cover dredging. Staff estimated roughly 80,000 cubic yards of sediment could remain in the reservoir; at a notional dredging cost of about $100 per cubic yard that would add about $5 million — raising the project total into the neighborhood of $9–10 million after inflation.

Timeline and constraints: staff said the FEMA funding must be obligated and spent by Sept. 2027 and that permitting for in-water work (stream-entry, DEC habitat and other approvals) can take six months to a year. Staff warned that the permitting timeline and the grant deadline together create a compressed schedule and said early design and permitting steps are underway. The city has contracted a consultant (Ramboll/O’Brien & Gere team) to develop bid-ready plans; staff said additional funding sources and coordination with state and federal legislators will be necessary if total costs exceed the FEMA award.

Why it matters: the dam provides source-water control for the city’s water supply; staff warned that deferred maintenance has grown into a costly, time-sensitive capital problem. Staff indicated the DEC has cited deficiencies at other downstream dams as well and that the 60‑Foot Dam project needs to move quickly to secure available federal funds.

Next steps: staff will continue design and permitting work, seek additional funding sources, and bring capital requests to council during the upcoming budget/capital planning cycle. Council members asked staff to pursue discretionary and legislative funding and to plan how costs might be equitably allocated if the city must make up funding shortfalls.