NYPA TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE HINCKLEY DAM BOAT LAUNCH TODAY
Closure necessary due to low water levels that make boat launching unsafe
UTICA—The New York Power Authority announced it would close the Hinckley Dam and Reservoir at 6 p.m. today due to extremely low water levels that make conditions unsafe for boat launching. The nearby canoe and kayak launch area will remain open.
The water levels are about 15 feet lower than normal and were caused largely by a smaller snowpack and a relatively dry spring. NYPA will monitor the reservoir and announce a reopening of the launch as conditions allow.
The launch consists of concrete planks extending 200 feet into the reservoir to permit easy access for boaters. Located along the north side of the reservoir on Route 365, the boat launch was first opened by NYPA in 1985 as a recreational measure in connection with the Power Authority’s construction of the Gregory B. Jarvis Power Project.
The Jarvis project, which features two turbine-generators, began operating in 1986 and is named in honor of an astronaut from the Mohawk Valley who was killed that year aboard the space shuttle Challenger.
About NYPA:
NYPA is the nation's largest state public power organization, through the operation of its 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. More than 70 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. For more information visit http://www.nypa.gov/and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, and LinkedIn.