The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-04-05
DELAWARE To Be CONVERTED
into RESERVOIRS
At NarrOwsburg SiXty-Foot Dam
Will be Built and COchecton Viii
lage Will be Entirely Wiped
OFF the Man

One of the greatest undertakings
ever attempted by any State in his
tory is the proposed conservation of
water on the various waterways in
the State of New York. Nearly every
river in the State is to be used in
this conservation idea and a rough
estimate of the cost has been placed
at S500,000,0O0.
The Delaware river is to have four
dams built in it at Mongaup, Sho-
hola, Narrowsburg and Cannonsville.
The one at Narrowsburg alone, if
built according to the specifications
already drawn, will cost in the neigh
borhood of $4,000, 1000. if not more.
The State, under the supervision
of the State Water Supply Commits
sion, started to make surveys of all
the proposed reservoirs in 1908 and
complete maps and specifications
were made at about 100000. These
maps are very elaborate, >even to
the minutest details and give the
depths and width of the rivers at all
points and the lands which will be
under water.
The idea of the State Water Sup
ply Commission in building these
reservoirs is to build hydro-electric
power stations at all the dams and
may contract to furnish any muni-
cipality in the State, power, energy,
electricity or water for the purpose
of lighting public streets, high
ways, public and private buildings,
and for heat and power; so that
any municipality entering into such
contract and the citizens thereof
| shall secure at cost the benefits de-
rived from the utilization of said
| power and water" 1t is estimated
that the price for power will be
about SIS per horse power per
| year
If this scheme materializes, which
it eventually will, it is proposed to
build a 60-foot dam at Narrowsburg
just above the bridge with a power
station just below the bridge fed by
a sluiceway from the dam. Large
concrete wings will extend out from
| each side of the dam to protect the
village and the cemetery. The wa
| ter will back up to a mile above
Cochecton and at various places will
be from quarter to a half mile
! wide. About eleven miles of Erie
tracks, from Narrowsburg to Cochec-
ton, will have to be placed at a high.
|
village of Cochecton now olcated or
the fats will have to be moved to a
! higher level as also will that part oi
Damascus now located at the foot oi
the hill. The village of Milanville
including the acid factory, is also
doomed to destruction unless NOV.
ed to higher ground.
New york parties who were tip.
| ped off to the scheme, have been al
along the river buying property thai
would be affected should the reser,
voirs be built. At Narrowsburg they
have secured options on all the land
near the proposed dam.
'On Wednesday the Senate passed
| the Conservation bill permitting the
! State to develop and sell hydro-elec
! tric power, by vote of 27 to %
1t is doubtful, though, IL the bill
will pass the Assembly as it is SAID
that Speaker Merritt is opposed tC
the measure on the ground that II
would conflict with property which
he owns, and as the Republicans viii
probably stand by him it will bt
| bottled up in the Rules Committee
Nevertheless it must come some
time, although a good estimat,
would be about five years before
start is made to build.