Scoby Power Plant and Dam is a historic

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

and now defunct

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

located between the towns of Ashford and Concord, near Springville,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The complex is located on the eastern bank of Cattaraugus Creek outside Springville. It is representative of a small hydroelectric generating facility of the early 20th century in

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...

. The complex was constructed in 1925, replacing a facility near this site. ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying six photographs''
/ref> It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1996.

Scoby Dam Park

The Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry acquired the dam and surrounding property shortly after the Village of Springville ceased using the dam for power generation in 1998. The park is managed as a "conservation park" with minimal improvements and facilities. The park is popular with anglers seeking

steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the Fish migration#Classification, anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-wa ...

during the fall, winter and spring, and also includes space for picnicking and hiking. In 2014, local residents began petitioning for state and local support to install the "Springville Whitewater Park" at the site, which would include dedicated access and space for

whitewater rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

activities.

Proposed dam lowering

Concerns over the dam's structural integrity and the desire to remove a barrier to stream-running steelhead has led to a proposal to lower the currently- Scoby Dam by about . The $6.6 million (

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

) proposal was put forth by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...

in 2014, and if approved the work could happen within three years of the proposal's passage. In addition to lowering the dam, a

fish ladder A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass, fish steps, or fish cannon, is a structure on or around artificial and natural barriers (such as dams, locks and waterfalls) to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration as well as mov ...

would also be installed to allow migratory fish to access an additional of Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries above the dam. By allowing steelhead access beyond the dam, anglers would be able to seek these fish by utilizing an additional of public stream access. Currently, only of the stream below the dam is publicly accessible for fishing. Appropriate habitats for steelhead spawning exist above the dam, and its removal could allow for steelhead populations to become more self-sustaining. Currently, the steelhead fishery is maintained primarily through annual

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transpar ...

of fish, however up to 25% of the creek's steelhead may be the result of natural reproduction. Critics of the project have raised concerns about impacts on resident brown and rainbow trout populations above the dam, and the possibility of introducing

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

such as the

sea lamprey The sea lamprey (''Petromyzon marinus'') is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish". It was likely introduced to the Great Lakes region through the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Wel ...

into stretches of the creek currently free of such organisms. The USACE proposal includes barriers that are intended to restrict the movement of sea lamprey beyond the dam. As of 2024 no progress has been made in the dam remains fully intact.

References

External links

Springville Whitewater Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scoby Power Plant And Dam Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Dams in New York (state) Dams completed in 1925 Energy infrastructure completed in 1925 Energy infrastructure on the National Register of Historic Places Hydroelectric power plants in New York (state) Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Erie County, New York Parks in Erie County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Erie County, New York