Tocks Island Dam controversy facts for kids

Imagine a huge dam built across the Delaware River near a small place called Tocks Island. In the 1950s, there was a big plan to do just that! The idea was to stop floods and give clean water to big cities like New York and Philadelphia.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wanted to build this dam. If it had been built, it would have created a giant lake, about 37 miles (60 km) long, between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This lake would have been very deep, up to 140 feet! The land around this new lake was planned to become a fun place called the Tocks Island National Recreation Area.

But this project caused a lot of arguments and protests. Even though the dam was never built, the government bought a huge amount of land – about 72,000 acres (291 km²) – often by making people sell their homes. This made many local residents very angry and led to big protests from environmental groups.

After the dam project was stopped, the land the government had bought was given to the National Park Service. They used it to create the beautiful Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area that we know today.

The Tocks Island Dam Project

Tocks Island is a small island in the Delaware River. It's located just north of the famous Delaware Water Gap, right between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This spot was thought to be a good place for a dam many times, even as far back as the 1930s.

Engineers looked at the area closely. The proposed dam would have been about 3,200 feet (975 meters) long and 160 feet (49 meters) high. It was mostly going to be made of earth. A concrete part of the dam would have had special gates to control water flow and a place to generate electricity. The huge lake behind the dam would have stretched for 37 miles (60 km) all the way to Port Jervis, New York, covering about 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares) of land.

Why Was the Dam Proposed?

The idea for the Tocks Island Dam became very important after a terrible flood in 1955. This flood, caused by Hurricane Diane, killed many people and caused a lot of damage in the Delaware River area. People realized they needed a way to control such powerful floods.

So, in 1965, a plan was sent to Congress to build the dam. Besides stopping floods, the dam had other big goals:

• Clean Water: The lake would store water that could be pumped to supply drinking water for millions of people in New York City and Philadelphia.
• Electricity: The dam could also create hydroelectric power, which is electricity made from moving water.
• Recreation: The land around the new lake was meant to be a huge park. It would offer lots of fun activities like hunting, hiking, fishing, and boating for people to enjoy.

Land and Protests

To build the dam and create the recreation area, the United States government started buying land. Often, they used a process called "condemnation" or "eminent domain." This meant they could legally force people to sell their property, even if they didn't want to. Many families had lived on this land for generations.

Because of this, entire towns and communities were changed forever. For example, most of the original town of Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, and many buildings from Bushkill, Pennsylvania, were removed. On the New Jersey side, a large part of Pahaquarry Township was taken over. Its population became tiny, and eventually, the township was dissolved.

Many people whose land was taken felt it was unfair. They formed groups to protest. Two important leaders were Nancy Shukaitis and Ruth Jones, who started the Delaware Valley Conservation Association. They went to many government meetings to speak out. Another famous person who helped bring attention to the issue was Justice William O. Douglas, a judge who loved the natural beauty of the area, especially a place called Sunfish Pond.

Why the Project Was Stopped

The final decision about the dam was up to the Delaware River Basin Commission. This group included the governors of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, plus a federal representative.

The project started to slow down in the early 1970s. New Jersey Governor William T. Cahill raised concerns about:

• The unfair way land was being taken from residents.
• The possible harm the dam could do to the environment.
• The high costs New Jersey would have to pay for new roads and sewer systems needed for the recreation area.

Later studies showed that there were better and cheaper ways to control floods and improve water supply than building this huge dam. In 1975, the Delaware River Basin Commission voted against the dam.

Other problems also led to the project's end:

• Money: The United States was spending a lot of money on the Vietnam War, so finding $384 million for the dam became very difficult.
• Geology: The ground in the area was found to be too unstable. It couldn't safely support what would have been the largest dam project east of the Mississippi River.

In 1992, the project was looked at again but rejected. Finally, in 2002, after more research, the Tocks Island Dam Project was officially canceled forever.

Today, the land that was once meant for the dam and lake is now protected as the beautiful Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. You can even watch a video documentary about the project called Controversy on the Delaware: A Look Upstream at the Tocks Island Dam Project on YouTube!