The Hudson River–Black River Regulating District (HRBRRD) is a New York state public-benefit corporation that traces its formation to the creation of the Black River Regulating District in 1919, and the Hudson River Regulating District in 1922 in response to the severe historical flooding of the cities of Albany, Green Island, Rensselaer,

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

, and Watervliet by the

Sacandaga River The Sacandaga River is a river in the northern part of New York (state), New York in the United States. Its name comes from the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native American ''Sa-chen-da'-ga'', meaning "overflowed lands". The Sacandaga Ri ...

and

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

and its tributaries. The HRBRRD, formed in 1959 by combining the two entities, collects excess runoff to reduce flooding impacts in the Hudson River and Black River basins, and releases this captured water gradually during periods of low river flow to maintain water quality in each river basin. This system was designed to reduce damage from spring storms and

snowmelt In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced. Water produced by snowmelt is an important part of the annual water cycle in many part ...

, including disease and destruction of life and property, and to improve river navigation and public sanitation. The HRBRRD was also formed with hydroelectric generation in mind. It owns and operates several

dams A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...

—including the Conklingville Dam which formed the

Great Sacandaga Lake The Great Sacandaga Lake (formerly the Sacandaga Reservoir) is a large lake in the Adirondack Park in northern New York in the United States. The lake has a surface area of about at capacity, and the length is about . The word ''Sacandaga'' me ...

—and

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

Organization

The HRBRRD is guided by a 7-member board. Its management team is headed by Executive Director John C. Callaghan, Sr. In 2017, it had operating expenses of $8.53 million, no outstanding debt, and a staffing level of 24 people. For decades, HRBRRD's revenues came from lease agreements with electrical power companies who operate the hydroelectric generation facilities within the district, however these revenues ended in 2009 because of a lawsuit. The HRBRRD then tried to obtain revenue from the counties to which it provided flood relief, i.e.,

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, Saratoga, Rensselaer, and Albany and a lawsuit was filed in response. The HRBRRD now receives revenue from Brookfield Renewable Power in the amount of $1.4 million per year (with an annual 3 percent increase), from permit fees charged to land owners along the shoreline of the Great Sacandaga Lake in the amount of $412,000 per year, and from dam maintenance fees received from the hydroelectric facilities in an annual amount of $471,000. After those three sources of revenue are accounted for, the remaining operating expenses and debt are paid for by the HRBRRD's benefiting county governments based upon assessed property value along the river system.

Facilities

The HRBRRD owns and operates six dams and their accompanying reservoirs. These facilities include: *Conklingville Dam on the Sacandaga River, a Hudson River tributary * Indian Lake on the Indian River, a Hudson River tributary * Stillwater Reservoir on the Beaver River, a Black River tributary *The Fulton Chain of Lakes, with dams at Old Forge and Sixth Lake, which are the headwaters of the Middle Branch of the Moose River, a Black River tributary The dams are inspected annually by the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates the interstate transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas and regulates the prices of interstate transport ...

References

External links

HRBRRD WebsiteDevelopment Authority of the North Country Website
* ttps://www.abo.ny.gov/paw/paw_weblistingST.html NYS Authorities Budget Office list of NYS Public Benefit Corporations {{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson River-Black River Regulating District Regions of New York (state) Upstate New York Politics of New York (state) Public benefit corporations

Organization

Facilities

See also

References

External links