In case you missed it, residents of the part of the Town of Gardiner nearby Tillson Lake have been organizing for more than a year now to halt a plan by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to “dewater” the 24-acre manmade reservoir fed by the Palmaghatt Kill near the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge.
Removing the Tillson Lake Dam would not only save $8 million in construction expense, it would eliminate ongoing maintenance costs, reduce flood risks and improve the natural habitat and biodiversity within Minnewaska State Park.
The Save Tillson Lake group is fighting the Palisades Interstate Park Commission’s plan to remove an earthen dam, which would drain the man-made lake in Gardiner. The group was not happy that Riverkeeper, one of the most prominent environmental groups in the Hudson Valley, is supporting the plan. A Riverkeeper habitat manager argues that the plan would restore the natural flow of the Palmaghatt Kill, a tributary of the Wallkill River, which would benefit several species of fish and invertebrates.
In response to public outcry from Gardiner residents, the Gardiner Town Board decided to formally state its opposition to the draining of the Tillson Lake.
“Save Tillson Lake” is the name of a new ad hoc advocacy group of citizens alarmed over the Palisades Interstate Park Commission’s plan to “dewater” Tillson Lake, a 23-acre reservoir near the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge. The commission says the lake’s dam is unsafe.