Homepage

The DeRuyter Lake Drain The DeRuyter Lake Drain

Lake levels have been significantly lowered for dam repairs.

By Jillian Andrews

Jillian Andrews:
This is the current view of DeRuyter Lake Reservoir. Doesn’t look much like a lake at the moment. In order to repair the lake’s dam, it had to be drained by 10 feet.

Kathy Sherlock:
At first it was pretty crazy um got a lot of phone calls, a lot of texts of panic mode

Jillian Andrews:
Kathy Sherlock is the president of the DeRuyter Lake Association and says there was no other choice but to drain the
lake and repair the dam. With that being said, she tries to focus on the positives.
It’s true the current residents are getting the brunt of the project, but now the dam will be ready for generations to
come.

Kathy Sherlock:
I think its the only way to keep our lake here

Jillian Andrews:
Sherlock acknowledges that residents are afraid the lake won’t fill up in time for summer. Her response to that…

Kathy Sherlock:
You know, it is what it is

Jillian Andrews:
While many residents say this is a lake half empty, some are saying, this is a lake half full.

Tom Chartrand:
It doesn’t bother me at all. It’s actually kind of fun to see what the terrain is underneath the 10 feet that we’ve been drawn down. So its been really intriguing to see where the high spots are, the low spots are, and the places that I’m going to ruin a prop on my boat next year

Jillian Andrews
A few years ago, Tom Chartrand began living year round at the lake.
He isn’t bothered by all the change.
In fact, he’s going to sit back and enjoy the transformation.

Tom Chartrand:
I’m looking forward to watching the lake come back up.

Jillian Andrews
One thing is for sure, no matter what it looks like, there’s no place Chartrand would rather be.

Tom Chartrand:
I just love living here. Its the best place on earth to live, and very happy.

DeRuyter, N.Y. (NCC News) –The DeRuyter Lake Reservoir in Madison and Onondaga County is in the process of dam repairs.

The dam and lake were made in the mid 1800s. The original purpose was to function as a water source for the Erie Canal. Hardly any work had been done on the dam since its creation and therefore the structure was high on the New York State Canal Corporation’s list for repairs. The dam was classified as a “high hazard.”

In order to complete the project, the lake had to be lowered by 10 feet. And residents were not happy when news of the project broke.

“At first it was pretty crazy, got a lot of phone calls, a lot of texts of panic mode,” said Kathy Sherlock, the president of the DeRuyter Lake Association.

The lake is looking very empty at this point. The shoreline now resembles rocky beaches and tons of mud.

“It is what it is,” Sherlock said.

Sherlock said that without dam repairs, there could eventually be no more lake.

While many residents are nervous about the lake filling up for the summer, others are making the best of the situation.

“It doesn’t bother me at all. It’s actually kind of fun to see what the terrain is underneath the ten feet that we’ve been drawn down. So its been really intriguing to see where the high spots are, the low spots are, and the places that I’m going to ruin a prop on my boat next year,” said Tom Chartrand, a year round resident.

Chartrand said he’s enjoyed watching the progress. He also enjoys having a beach to walk along for a change.

“I just love living here. Its the best place on earth to live, and just very happy,” Chartrand said.

The project does appear to be ahead of schedule. Residents and local lake goers are hoping for a wet spring to bring lake levels back up quickly.

Related Articles