New York- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has awarded an approximately
$868,000 contract to Cutting Edge Group of Lake George, N.Y., for maintenance work on the Lusk
Reservoir Dam at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
The work is being done to ensure the continued long-term integrity of the more than 100-year-old dam,
which holds back 78-million gallons of water when water is flowing over the spillway.
Some of the work on the dam includes repointing, which is the replacement of mortar between stones
to help maintain the structural integrity of the dam, valve work, and upgrading the dam’s more than
100-year-old emergency outlet pipe.
“This work on the Lusk Reservoir Dam will help to ensure the continued integrity of this dam, and
ensure the continued protection of the West Point community and nearby communities as well,” said
New York District Commander Col. John R. Boulé. “It also returns an important safety and maintenance
feature of the dam to active operation.”
The 225-foot-wide and 35-feet-high dam was constructed in 1895 under the direction of Capt. James L.
Lusk, a West Point graduate from the class in 1878. The dam was originally constructed to create the
Lusk Reservoir to provide drinking water for the academy and has since become an important piece of
the historic campus. The maintenance work is slated to be completed this fall.
The Lusk Reservoir Dam repairs are a part of the ongoing Dam Safety Program that New York District
and West Point collaborate on. The West Point Dam Safety Program incorporates the many dams
throughout the installation and includes dam inspections, maintenance and emergency preparedness
planning and exercises.
About Us: New York District is responsible for the Corps of Engineers’ water resource development,
navigation, and regulatory activities in northeastern New Jersey, eastern and south-central New York
State, including the New York Harbor and Long Island, and parts of Vermont, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut. The District is also responsible for design and construction at Army and Air Force
installations in New Jersey, New York, Virginia and overseas in Greenland.