{"id":4318,"date":"2006-01-12T19:20:22","date_gmt":"2006-01-12T23:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/01\/12\/too-dam-personal\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:15","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:15","slug":"too-dam-personal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/01\/12\/too-dam-personal\/","title":{"rendered":"too dam personal"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n


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The <\/font>Gilboa Dam<\/font><\/a>, at the Schoharie Reservoir in Schoharie County NY, is <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

about 60 miles west of my home in Schenectady. The dam is owned by <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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the distant <\/font>City of New <\/font><\/a>York<\/font><\/a>, and supplies about 16% of the NYC’s water. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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For the past few months, I’ve been vaguely aware that a lot of people are <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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worried <\/a><\/font>the 1927 Dam might fail<\/font><\/a>, causing massive damage along its down-<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

stream watershed on the Schoharie Creek. In December, Sen. Chuck <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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Schumer urged<\/font><\/a> NYC to speed up its repairs to the dam, and local Cong. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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Mike McNulty joined Sens. Clinton and Schumer in <\/font>asking the Army<\/font><\/a> Corps <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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of Engineers to help get the job done quickly and right.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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<\/font><\/p>\n


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None of this focused my attention on that Dam. It’s on the Schoarie Creek, <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

and my backyard in the Schenectady Stockade is on the Mohawk River. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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However, yesterday, a local tv news show made a report that did<\/em> get me <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

focused (WRGB\/<\/font>CBS-Ch6<\/font><\/a> “Emergency plans for Gilboa dam,” Jan. 12, <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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2006): <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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Schenectady’s Stockade is about 60 miles from the Gilboa Dam <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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but if it were to fail it is not just the people in Schoharie County <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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who would be affected. Emergency officials in Schenectady <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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County are keeping a close eye on the aging Dam. If something <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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were to happen residents of the Stockade would only have 10 hours<\/em> <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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to get out<\/em>. County Emergency Management Coordinator, Bill Van <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Hoesen . . . says the consequences if it did happen are serious. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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<\/font><\/p>\n


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\"spiltWine\"<\/font><\/p>\n


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<\/font><\/p>\n


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It was recently revealed that the 80 year old Gilboa Dam was not up <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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to current safety standards. Water from the dam flows north from the <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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Schoharie Creek into the Mohawk River which along with spring thaws <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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and ice jams, makes the Stockade prone to flooding. Experts say that <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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if the Gilboa Dam does burst, [20] billions of gallons of water would head <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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straight for Schenectady flooding the streets of Front, Erie, and Broadway. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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<\/font><\/p>\n


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The water could even rise to nearly 240 feet above sea level, where it was <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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in 1914 [the highest on record; flood stage is about 212 feet]. Under the <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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emergency plan, though, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Dellarocco would go <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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door to door evacuate residents. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n


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Okay, now I’m interested. I’m leaving in a few minutes for a Stockade Association <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Meeting, where I hope to learn more. The tv reporters said that parts of the <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Stockade — a Historic District of ancient homes — might be irretrievably lost. My <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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home is on the block that borders the River. Sometimes, one’s perspective can <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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change with just a tiny little fact or two. (Something a good judge and lawyer <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

should always keep in mind.)<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n


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\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font>\u00a0<\/font><\/p>\n


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river flood <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

a “For Sale” sign<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n


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on a cottage roof<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/p>\n


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George Swede <\/font>from <\/font>Almost<\/em> Unseen<\/em><\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

the flood’s wake\u2014
\ndriftwood bison
\nand dinosaurs <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Barry George<\/font><\/a> from <\/font><\/em>Haiku Harvest<\/font><\/em><\/a> (Jan-Feb 2003)<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n


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\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font>
\n<\/font>flood damage —<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font>strolling <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font>our new riparian beach<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/font>dagosan<\/em><\/strong><\/font><\/a> <\/em><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/em> <\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\ndinner party
\nglancing up from grace
\nto the flood mark on the wall<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

wind and rain
\nthe hand I reach for
\nin the dark<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

shimmering pines
\na taste of the mountain
\nfrom your cupped hands<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

bitter wind …
\nthe hand that cups the flame
\naglow<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\nsnowed in
\nthe wedding-ring quilt
\nlumpy with children<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nWinter night:
\na spark between the tweeds
\nof strangers<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

mops and pails–<\/font><\/p>\n

the wren goes on singing<\/font><\/p>\n

with straw in its beak<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Peggy Lyles<\/strong><\/font><\/a> – <\/font>To Hear the Rain<\/strong><\/em><\/font><\/a> (2002) <\/font><\/p>\n

“mops and pails–” –<\/em> Frogpond<\/em> XXVIII:2 (2005)<\/font><\/p>\n

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The Gilboa Dam, at the Schoharie Reservoir in Schoharie County NY, is about 60 miles west of my home in Schenectady. The dam is owned by the distant City of New York, and supplies about 16% of the NYC’s water. For the past few months, I’ve been vaguely aware that a lot of people are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2926,2927],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006","category-schenectady-synecdoche"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-17E","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12832,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4318\/revisions\/12832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}