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Conservation board outlines Walter Hoving dam removal plan; consultant estimates $1.88 million project
Summary
The conservation board described a multi-year plan to remove the Walter Hoving dam, create a new north-parallel channel with stone step pools and native plantings, and reduce long-term flood risk. Consultant Interflu and project lead Beth Greco said work is expected in 2027 and the project cost is estimated at about $1.88 million with funding described as secure.
The Philipstown conservation board reported on a vetted plan to remove the Walter Hoving dam and restore the stream corridor, presenting engineering details and a funding estimate.
Nick Nelson of Interflu, introduced as a fluvial geomorphologist, described the physical design: removal of the dam and an adjacent footbridge, creation of a new channel north of the existing channel roughly 30 feet wide with stepped stone pools, and planted, gradually sloping banks. Nelson said the channel will be three to five feet deep in places and designed to perform better for one- to two-year storm events while offering comparable performance for larger storms.
Beth Greco, who runs Walter Hoving, told the board the project is preliminarily estimated at about $1.88 million and that funding is, in her words, "secure for that." Board members noted that permitting requires in‑water work to be done within a prescribed construction window (April–September), so the earliest realistic construction start is 2027.
Conservation members emphasized the project stems from concerns the dam had been identified as a potential failure risk; they described the removal as a hazard-reduction measure to avoid an uncontrolled failure that could be catastrophic to the downstream neighborhood. The board also described using a second consulting team to vet the applicant’s consultant work and said the review identified a few discrepancies that were addressed.
The conservation board said it issued a negative declaration at its meeting and will proceed through permitting and the contracting process with construction timed for the next available in-water work window.
