What's happening
This bill authorizes a pilot program for flood control at Lake DeForest, regulating water releases to reduce downstream flooding while maintaining drinking water quality.
Why it matters
Creates a new role for the Department of Environmental Conservation. in directly managing water releases from a privately owned reservoir, which could set a precedent for increased state oversight of private water infrastructure in flood-prone areas.
Aims to balance flood mitigation with drinking water needs. , requiring rules that ensure flood control actions do not compromise water quality or supply—a complex trade-off with potential impacts on both public safety and daily water use.
Targets proactive action before severe weather events. , empowering the state to act based on forecasts, dam safety, or seasonal risks, which could reduce property damage and public costs from floods but may affect water availability or reservoir operations.
Pilot status with a ten-year sunset. provides a test period to gather data and assess impacts, influencing future permanent policies on water management, flood prevention, and private-public cooperation in state infrastructure.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Test Lake DeForest Flood Control
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3453
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, JAFFEE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to authorize the department of environmental conservation to establish the Lake DeForest Flood Control Pilot Program; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The department of environmental conservation shall establish the Lake DeForest Flood Control Pilot Program to regulate the volume and releases of water from the Lake DeForest reservoir, which is operated by a privately owned waterworks corporation as defined in section 2 of the public service law, to mitigate downstream flooding, to the maximum extent practicable while recognizing and ensuring the primary purpose of the availability of sufficient quality drinking water. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations describing the circumstances in which flood control authority may be used including the anticipation of a major weather event, large inflow of water into reservoirs, dam safety, seasonal precipitation schedules or any other condition that may reasonably cause unnecessary flooding to surrounding areas.
§ 2. This act shall take effect December 31, 2019 and shall expire and be deemed repealed December 31, 2029.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01589-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.