Dolgeville's new waterfront park tackles flooding with natural solutions. Find out how

Earlier this year, the Village of Dolgeville held a public meeting revealing plans for a new waterfront park on North Main Street.

The goal? Integrating permeable surfaces to help with flood mitigation, said Dolgeville Mayor Mary Puznowski.

According to Liz Podowski King, consultant team project manager, from a hydrologic standpoint the village is mainly susceptible to floods because of its proximity to the Adirondack Park. The East Canada Creek flows from a steep, mountainous terrain into a narrow floodplain– “the water has nowhere else to go,” she explained.

The project is anticipated to finish within the five years, allowing the village time to apply for additional grant funding.

Regardless, King said the final design will be complete (and ready to share) by the end of next month.

“We can’t fight Mother Nature, we have to work with her,” said Puznowski. “Since 2006 we’ve had hundred year storms three times each year. The Halloween flood of 2019 was the most devastating. Storms now are more frequent and furious and we need a plan. This project is a step in the right direction.”

As the project advances Puznowski, King, and Maggie Reilly – climate adaptation specialist at Ramboll engineering – showed how some of its tools can be used in other floodplain restoration programs throughout the region.

Flooding in Dolgeville

The East Canada Creek flows through the southern Adirondacks and into the Mohawk River Valley. For decades the parts of Dolgeville closest to the creek have experienced severe flooding.

“Streams from the North Country and Canada Lake feed into our watershed,” Puznowski pointed out. “When there are straight line storms it's unbelievable the amount of water we get. It spills across the village and wreaks great havoc.”

Enter the newly proposed waterfront park.

According to King, the project aims to lessen flood damage in two ways: the voluntary FEMA buy-out of properties of North Main Street, as well as the creation of a new recreational space for residents.

“The park allows the East Canada Creek to reclaim part of its original floodplain,” King continued. “It also gives the community a place to congregate. By removing risk to homes, and allowing the river access to its floodplain, we can potentially mitigate the effects of flooding on the Village and work with the creek instead of against it. This is preferable to other more traditional flood mitigation methods, like building a levee, as those solutions often make the flooding downstream worse.”

The proposed design includes only permeable surfaces (with the exception of a pavilion) – meaning that when an intense rain event occurs, or the creek floods, some of that water can now be absorbed back into the ground.

“Often communities use impervious surfaces for their rooftops, roadways, sidewalks, and parking lots,” King said. “The more we work to remove these the better we’ll be able to mitigate floods by allowing rainwater to infiltrate the ground where it falls.”

Integrating pervious surfaces – asphalt, plastic grids, porous turf or permeable clay pavers – is a technique that King claims can (and should) be used in other flood-prone communities across the Mohawk Valley.

“Open space, parks, and recreational spaces are a great way to restore the areas adjacent to waterways,” King added. “By adding native plants to the mix, to enhance soil health, these spaces can adapt to withstand flooding.”

Flooding in Central NY

Reilly, program manager of the Sauquoit Creek Channel & Floodplain Restoration Program in Whitestown, praised the new Dolgeville waterfront park concept plan.

“Scientists predict that in the future Central New York can expect several months of temperatures above 90 degrees and extreme weather events resulting in flooding and/or droughts,” said Reilly. “Flooding won’t just continue, it’ll likely increase. There's a physical and financial impact but also an emotional impact on those that deal with repeated flooding.”

As stated by Reilly, the Dolgeville project is noteworthy because it creates a place where the built environment and natural environment can complement each other. It helps reinstill public spirit, giving residents a place to walk their dogs and enjoy the fresh air, she added.

“Global warming is happening at a fast rate,” emphasized Reilly. "While we must learn from best practices we must also propose new, innovative ideas. Planting native plant communities helps establish the habitat necessary to preserve ecosystem biodiversity. It's a great (simple) tool to implement along flood benches as well as within our suburban landscapes.”

A step in the right direction

After the Halloween flood of 2019 Dolgeville received a $100,000 planning grant from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for a Mohawk River Watershed project.

The village hired a firm, Burtman Associates, to conduct preliminary studies, Puznowski said. Using the results found, Dolgeville applied for recognition as a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) and was approved in 2023.

“Now we’re positioned to receive more grants,” Puznowski gleamed. “The park project has been in the works for over a year. It runs in tandem with the ongoing home buyouts. After examining the hydraulics study King and her team chose plants with high water retention and an array of different permeable surfaces. The project aims to stabilize the river bank and create a safe spot for locals to enjoy.”

The village plans to submit a NYS Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) this summer in order to apply for additional grant funding for the project, Puznowski hinted.

“In the meantime we intend on keeping the public in the loop; so far those at the Feb. public meeting loved the ideas: creek stabilization, integration of native species, and use of permeable surfaces for water drainage,” she confirmed.

Making 'lemonade out of lemons'

Reflecting on the village's history Puznowski admitted the creek has become a source of sadness, frustration, and anger. “But water can also be a great source of solace, it’s very soothing too,” she offered.

“Since we can’t build anything on the property we figured a park would be a great way to help people learn to appreciate the creek’s beauty again,” Puznowski said. “Folks can sit by the water, read a book, take a walk, and enjoy life. It’s a good fix to a terrible problem; it’s how we decided to make lemonade out of lemons.”

When asked how she felt about the approach Puznowski smiled.

“King has proven that armoring the river bank is often not the answer,” said Puznowski. “To me, this idea makes sense – applying old technology in a new way. Plus, it's relatively easy to plant trees with high absorption to drink up the excess water, like Weeping Willows. We don’t have to fight but we do have to adapt.”

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Dolgeville's waterfront park looks to lead the way in flood mitigation