City of Saratoga Springs engineers on Tuesday presented plans to repair and modernize the Loughberry Lake dam, a roughly $9,000,000 project intended to resolve spillway and embankment deficiencies identified by state regulators.

The presentation, led by James Salloway, the city engineer, and Matt Zeno, assistant city engineer, described a program of upstream slope stabilization, enlarged spillway conduits, a new intake structure and other measures designed to meet current New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) standards. The city expects construction to address insufficient spillway capacity and embankment stability cited in a 2017 DEC inspection that reclassified the structure as an intermediate-hazard dam.

City engineers said the work was designed by Schnabel Engineering, with McLaren Engineering providing traffic and transportation support. Wind Construction was the low bidder at $7,612,142; the presenters described about $7.5 million in construction costs with the remainder of the $9,000,000 estimate covering design and engineering. Construction began in October 2024, and the team reported the project was scheduled for substantial completion in October 2025.

Salloway and Zeno walked the council through the major elements of the contract documents and construction set: removal of brush and small trees from the upstream slope, placement of rock riprap and earth buttressing to stabilize the embankment, slip-lining the existing spillway with a 45-inch pipe and grout to enlarge capacity, construction of a new concrete spillway chamber and stop-log chamber, installation of new conduits and manholes for both primary and auxiliary spillways, and a reinforced concrete energy dissipation structure where the spillway discharges into the downstream spring run. The presenters said the intake tower that feeds the city’s water treatment plant lies north of Route 50 and will be protected and remain in service during construction.

Schnabel’s plans, the presenters said, followed DEC guidance to reduce the risk that a breach during fair-weather conditions could damage isolated homes, highways or utilities or cause economic or environmental losses downstream. The design also reflects coordination with New York State Department of Transportation, which owns Route 50 where the dam crest and toe berm intersect the roadway.

City staff said the project has involved multi-year funding accumulation and review; they reported the city approved Wind Construction’s low bid on Sept. 3, 2024, and mobilization followed that approval. Council members thanked DPW staff and the engineers and said they will monitor progress through biweekly site walks that include the water treatment plant operator and engineering staff.

Project documents and plan sheets were shown at the meeting; council members did not take formal action on the item beyond the presentation.

The city plans to continue updating the council and the public as construction progresses and as the city completes coordination with state agencies.