We present the results from an automated search for damped Ly{alpha} (DLA) systems in the quasar spectra of Data Release 1 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR1). At z~2.5, this homogeneous data set has greater statistical significance than the previous two decades of research. We derive a statistical sample of 71 DLA systems (>50 previously unpublished) at z>2.1 and measure HI column densities directly from the SDSS spectra.