Cold Spring accepts donated land to secure reservoir access, outlines $8M upper-reservoir repairs

Trustees announced the donation of a parcel adjacent to the village's upper reservoir from members of the Houston family to preserve watershed access and prevent future development on key parcels. The board said the parcel will be named the George Hughes Memorial Conservation Area and will improve access for necessary dam repairs and watershed protection.

The village reported an estimated $8 million repair project for the upper reservoir and said it has secured approximately $2.5 million in grant funding for engineering and construction. The board noted an existing maintenance easement is too narrow for full dam construction and that acquiring the recently donated parcels enables safer, less disruptive construction access. The trustees described the acquisition as important to secure the water supply and reduce future vulnerability to storm damage.