About Us

Lake Jeff was created by a dam built in 1927 so the village bathers could romp at and recreate in the shadow of the Lake Jeff Hotel, one of the crown jewels of Jeffersonville until its closing in 1998. (Four years later, in 2002, a fire burned the hotel to the ground).

During a severe flood in 2006, the spillway face at Lake Jeff was partially shorn away. Following the flood and state of emergency, a costly and extensive repair was done to the dam. The sheer force of the flood waters had scoured out a cave underneath the toe of the dam spillway; it was considered the priority one danger. The repair took place over two construction seasons and involved divers, drillers, industrial-sized pump-out operations above and below the spillway, professional engineers, government engineers, dozens of volunteers, two cement mixers pumping concrete from the Swiss Hill side and Route 52 side, and many thousands of dollars in materials and concrete. This was just one of a number of very significant and costly repairs and spillway resurfacing that have taken place over the life of the dam and spillway.

In 2004, the State of New York took over ownership of the dam as the financial burden to bring it up to code was too high for the owners to bear. The state intends to remove the dam and return the water flow back into its original state. As home owners and business owners on the lake and downstream for the lake, we are concerned about the potential for flooding and destruction as we have been through this before. We are seeking funds to help pay for a water study to understand the amount of water that will be freely flowing through our town and past our homes, particularly during flooding events that are becoming more frequent with climate change.

If you would like to contribute to our efforts, we would be so thankful for your tax-deductible donation of any size. Thank you so much for your support!