BALTIMORE -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, has released the new Almond Lake and Arkport Dam Master Plans that will serve as the guiding documents for consistent, responsible decision-making at both Flood Risk Management projects for the next 15 to 25 years.
These revisions are part of a larger, USACE-wide effort to bring all master plans up to date across the country.
The 2024 Master Plans for each project summarize existing conditions, serve as an inventory and analysis of land resources, consider implications of alternative development actions, and recommend land use changes to support a preferred development plan. This includes land use classifications that govern the way land is managed and used to provide good stewardship and outdoor recreation to meet the needs created by the lake itself.
The new guidance set forth for each respective project includes three major requirements including (1) the preparation of contemporary Resource Objectives, (2) Classification of project lands using the newly approved classification standards, and (3) the preparation of a Resource Plan describing in broad terms how the land in each of the land classifications will be managed into the foreseeable future. The study teams followed this guidance to prepare finalized Master Plans that will improve environmental quality and foster a management philosophy conducive to existing and projected staff levels at Almond Lake and Arkport Dam.
Factors considered in each of the plans were identified through discussions with project representatives, USACE, and the public. These Master Plans will ensure the long-term sustainability of natural resources associated with Almond Lake and Arkport Dam.
It is important to note that the 2024 Master Plans do not appropriate money to enhancements discussed in the plans, but effectively portray where projects could be authorized if funding or a strategic partnership were to become available for implementation.
The final Master Plan for each respective project, previous master plans and additional information can be found on the project’s websites:
Almond Lake: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dams-Recreation/Almond-Lake/Almond-Lake-Master-Plan-Revision/
Arkport Dam: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dams-Recreation/Arkport-Dam/Arkport-Dam-Master-Plan/
About Almond Lake
Almond Lake is located in Steuben County, New York, on Canacadea Creek approximately 2 miles upstream of Hornell, New York. The project is a unit of the comprehensive flood damage reduction plan for the protection of communities in southern New York and eastern Pennsylvania authorized by the Flood Control Act of June 22, 1936 as amended by the Flood Control Act of June 28, 1938, and as described in House Document No. 702, 77th Congress, second session. Steuben County operates and maintains the Kanakadea Recreation Area at Almond Lake. Recreation facilities include a boat launch, picnic area and campground. Recreation is offered Memorial Day to Labor Day annually.
About Arkport Dam
Arkport Dam is located near Hornell, New York, on the Canisteo River, a tributary of the Chemung River, which flows into the Susquehanna River. It is an earthfill structure, 1,200 feet long, rising 113 feet above the streambed, with a concrete spillway and an ungated outlet in the right abutment. This project is normally a dry dam; however, water is impounded after heavy rains. The reservoir created by the dam has a storage capacity of 7,900 acre-feet at spillway crest and has an area of 190 acres when filled to that level. The project controls a drainage area of 31 square miles, 20 percent of the watershed of the Canisteo River upstream from Hornell. An additional portion of the watershed is controlled by Almond Lake. This project forms part of the protection for Hornell, Canisteo and Addison, and reduces flood heights at other localities on the Canisteo and Chemung Rivers. It contributes to Executive Order 13508 goals to protect habitat and water quality within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The project is operational and does not have any recreation features.
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Additional Information
Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Headquartered near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Baltimore District provides design, engineering, construction, environmental, and real estate expertise to various important projects and customers. This support spans five states, the District of Columbia, overseas, and the Susquehanna, Potomac, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.