RENSSELAERVILLE — The town of Rensselaerville and the Huyck Preserve are teaming up to quickly address a worsening leak in the Myosotis Lake Dam, the town’s Water and Sewer Advisory Committee Chairman Ed Csukas explained at the board’s July 10 meeting. 

As The Enterprise previously reported, Huyck Preserve staff noticed early last year that a longstanding leak in the dam’s low-level outlet appeared to be getting worse, based on the sound of running water and a deepening depression in the riprap there. 

A recently-completed engineering assessment advised that the outlet be proactively capped, rather than excavating the area to do further assessments, since any disturbances could potentially make the situation even worse, Csukas explained to the board. 

Csukas explained that the Huyck Preserve and his advisory committee still intend to do a wholesale upgrade of the dam, but that a temporary short-term solution is necessary in the meantime. 

Because Lake Myosotis is the source of Rensselaerville’s drinking water, a siphon or pumphouse would be necessary to allow water to be moved from one side of the dam or the other as needed for the water system, Csukas said.

In order to quickly deplete the dam in the event of a hurricane or other extreme weather event, the town would enter into a partnership with a Massachusetts company called Rain for Rent that would show up, Csukas said, to “resolve what could be a bad situation.” 

Although the Huyck Preserve owns the dam, the preserve and the town are in agreement that the town should be responsible for the low-level outlet, hence the partnership. 

“It does seem like a good idea that we get this work done in the short term,” Csukas said, noting that “short-term,” in this case, could still mean many months, or even a year or more.