04/08/2025
Nor'easter Films' latest video documents the current state of Dunham Reservoir, part of my broader project WATERLINE, which chronicles its decline and uncertain future.
Waterline: The Decline of Martin Dunham Reservoir
By August 2025, the Martin Dunham Reservoir has been drawn down more than 10 feet, revealing cracked mud flats, drying shorelines, and the slow disappearance of a place that once defined Grafton Lakes State Park. Once a thriving recreational lake and vital stormwater buffer, Dunham now sits diminished, its waters receding under the weight of uncertainty.
This video shows the reservoir as it stands today, lowered, exposed, and slipping away. New York State Parks has proposed demolishing the dam and replacing the lake with an engineered wetland, a plan that has raised serious concerns about downstream flood risk, habitat loss, and what the future holds for one of the region’s most beloved public spaces. Many believe the waters will never rise again, that this drawdown is the first step in reducing the long-term costs of liability, not a temporary measure.
Locals and concerned citizens from around the region are pushing back. They’re calling for a full hydrologic impact study and downstream flooding assessments before any irreversible action is taken. They’re demanding transparency, science-based planning, and recognition of the reservoir’s cultural, ecological, and recreational value.
Join the effort to save Dunham.
Sign the petition: www.savedunham.org
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azv80kag5uw
Waterline: The Decline of Martin Dunham ReservoirBy August 2025, the Martin Dunham Reservoir has been drawn down more than 10 feet, revealing cracked mud fla...
