nature & waterways

Christmas bird count reaches nearly 20,000 at Oak Orchard Swamp

Posted 25 February 2024 at 7:37 pm

2 new species – Ruddy Duck and Lesser Black-backed Gull – found in annual tally

Press Release from Celeste Morien, bird count compiler

Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien, not taken on bird count day: The Lesser Black-backed Gull was spotted for the first time during the Christmas Bird Count.

SHELBY – Despite a cold snap before the Oak Orchard Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 28, the weather was unusually warm, with a low of 48 and high of 50. There was no snow cover.

Open and moving water were not frozen. Rain occurred throughout the day and was occasionally heavy with the only break at midday. Ground fog reduced visibility at times.

Perhaps due to the warm weather, the 37 count participants reported high counts of ten species, and found two new species! These dedicated volunteers found 72 species and 19,890 individual birds. Counters logged 33 hours on foot and 67.75 hours by car. Counters walked 26.5 miles and drove 577 miles by car.

Ruddy Duck and Lesser Black-backed Gull were new species, and were also seen at other locations outside the count circle during the same time period.

Species that remained in the area in greater numbers were Tundra Swan (73), Herring Gull (764), Sandhill Crane (17), Barred Owl (4), Belted Kingfisher (5), Northern Flicker (59), Merlin (2), Common Raven (6), Tufted Titmouse (39) and Eastern Bluebird (86).

Here are the numbers for species seen in the count:

  • Tundra Swan, 73
  • Trumpeter Swan, 2
  • Snow Goose, 1
  • Cackling Goose, 3
  • Canada Goose, 8,151
  • American Wigeon, 4
  • American Black Duck, 25
  • Mallard, 365
  • Redhead, 4
  • Ruddy Duck, 3
  • Common Goldeneye, 2
  • Common Merganser, 63
  • Ring-necked Pheasant, 1
  • Wild Turkey, 78
  • Great Blue Heron, 1
  • Bald Eagle, 12
  • Northern Harrier, 9
  • Cooper’s Hawk, 5
  • Accipiter sp., 1
  • Red-tailed Hawk, 42
  • American Kestrel, 6
  • Ruddy Duck is new to the Christmas Bird Count at the Oak Orchard Swamp.

    Merlin, 2

  • Sandhill Crane, 17
  • Ring-billed Gull, 44
  • Herring Gull, 764
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3
  • Gull sp., 3
  • Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon), 409
  • Mourning Dove, 235
  • Eastern Screech-Owl, 14
  • Barred Owl, 4
  • Short-eared Owl, 1
  • Belted Kingfisher, 5
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker, 43
  • Downy Woodpecker, 71
  • Hairy Woodpecker, 16
  • Northern Flicker, 59
  • Pileated Woodpecker, 6
  • Northern Shrike, 2
  • Blue Jay, 215
  • American Crow, 189
  • Common Raven, 6
  • Horned Lark, 14
  • Black-capped Chickadee, 269
  • Tufted Titmouse, 39
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3
  • White-breasted Nuthatch, 55
  • Brown Creeper, 12
  • Carolina Wren, 4
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet, 24
  • Eastern Bluebird, 86
  • American Robin, 421
  • Northern Mockingbird, 2
  • European Starling, 6,522
  • Cedar Waxwing, 145
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler, 11
  • American Tree Sparrow, 165
  • Song Sparrow, 18
  • Swamp Sparrow, 8
  • White-throated Sparrow, 70
  • White-crowned Sparrow, 6
  • Dark-eyed Junco, 193
  • Lapland Longspur, 2
  • Snow Bunting, 17
  • Northern Cardinal, 92
  • Red-winged Blackbird, 11
  • Brown-headed Cowbird, 3
  • House Finch, 95
  • American Goldfinch, 220
  • House Sparrow, 395
  • Sparrow sp., 6

Volunteers urged to be part of Canal Clean Sweep in late April

Staff Reports Posted 12 February 2024 at 5:30 pm

Provided photo: A group of middle school boys and 6th grade teacher Dustin Gardner found lots of trash and also a ski, a bat, golf balls and 13 dollars during last year’s Canal Clean Sweep in April. Holley had more than 100 students help with the annual spring trash pickup.

Registration has opened for Canal Clean Sweep 2024 with trash pickups welcomed from April 19-21.

Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, is organizing the 19th annual Canal Clean Sweep in celebration of Earth Day.

Community service clubs, co-workers at a business or organization, Scouts or even families are encouraged to register for a spot or section of the canal. Or they can check back later to register as a volunteer for a public event. Use the Event Finder Map on Parks & Trails website.

Most events will occur on Earth Day weekend. However, volunteers can pick another day if it works better.

Click here to fill out a form to register a Canal Clean Sweep event, indicating the clean-up location, how many volunteers are expected, and what t-shirt sizes are needed.

After registering for a Canal Clean Sweep event (click here), Parks & Trails will provide more information and materials.

Last year, not-for-profit organizations, civic groups, businesses, and social clubs took part in more than 130 events along the Canal System and the Canalway Trail as 2,700 volunteers helped pick up nearly 1,500 bags of garbage.

State parks set new record for attendance in 2023

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2024 at 4:58 pm

All local state parks see increase in visitors, except for Golden Hill

Photos by Tom Rivers: A motorist drives through Letchworth State Park on Oct. 28, 2023. The park had 975,406 visitors in 2023, up by more than 100,000 from the previous year when there were 869,513.

Attendance at the state park system set a new record in 2023 with 84.1 million, breaking the previous record set in 2022 by 4.7 million.

Most of the local state parks all saw an increase including Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton and the Oak Orchard Boat Launch in Carlton.

Attendance at nearby state parks includes:

  • Lakeside Beach State Park – 109,596 in 2023, 104,207 in 2022, and 116,817 in 2021
  • Oak Orchard Boat Launch – 11,030 in 2023, 9,849 in 2022 and 10,940 in 2021
  • Hamlin Beach State Park – 381,964 in 2023, 356,714 in 2022 and 367,960 in 2021
  • Letchworth State Park – 975,406 in 2023, 869,513 in 2022 and 903,505 in 2021
  • Golden Hill State Park in Barker – 48,694 in 2023, 50,065 in 2022 and 58,038 in 2021

Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted the record attendance, which see said is the 11th straight year of more people at the parks. Over the last two decades, state park attendance has climbed steadily, increasing nearly 60 percent, she said.

“These numbers reflect New Yorkers’ strong demand and appreciation for places to swim, hike, camp, gather with friends and family, and enjoy safe, healthy recreation,” Hochul said in a news release. “As we celebrate the New York State Park Centennial this year, my administration is committed to keeping this progress going to ensure New Yorkers have access to world-class recreational facilities for years to come.”

New York State Parks this year is celebrating of its 100th anniversary of the creation of the park system in 1924.

“State Parks is welcoming many millions more visitors than ever before to see all our improved facilities have to offer,” said State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid. “With continued support from Governor Hochul and the hard work of our State Parks team, more exciting projects and programs are coming as we celebrate our State Park Centennial this year, and I am confident we will keep seeing more visitors, who help drive many local economies across the state.”

Letchworth State Park in Wyoming and Livingston counties offers many gorgeous views.

NY will have 6 free fishing days in 2024 with licenses not required

Photo by Tom Rivers: Anglers cast their lines on Nov. 10 while fishing in the Oak Orchard River in Carlton.

Posted 5 February 2024 at 1:37 pm

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul announced today the six designated free fishing days in New York will take place on: February 17 to 18 (Presidents’ Day Weekend), June 29 to 30, September 28 (National Hunting and Fishing Day) and November 11 (Veterans Day).

During these days, the fishing license requirement is waived for freshwater fishing on New York’s waters.

“The Free Fishing Days program provides a great opportunity for aspiring anglers to try freshwater fishing for the first time or former anglers to reconnect with one of America’s favorite pastimes,” Governor Hochul said. “New York is blessed with an abundance of freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and rivers, allowing for memorable fishing experiences that increase tourism and benefit the economy.”

The Free Fishing Days program began in 1991 to give people who might not fish a chance to try the rewarding sport of freshwater fishing at no cost, to introduce people to a new hobby, and to encourage people to support conservation by purchasing a New York State fishing license. Outside of free fishing days, anglers over the age of 16 must have a valid fishing license.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Free Fishing Days are spread out throughout the year to give anglers a chance to enjoy freshwater fishing in various climates. It is the perfect time for families and friends to take advantage of the State’s plentiful fishing opportunities and learn or re-refresh a recreational hobby without the traditional fees.”

Canal’s 200th season in 2024 runs from May 17 to Oct. 16

Photo by Tom Rivers: A boat heads west on the Erie Canal on Oct. 7, 2023 and approaches the lift bridge in Eagle Harbor. The boat was captained by Veronica Morgan. It was part of a program highlighting hoggees, who were children who walked with mules that pulled boats on the canal in the 1800s.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 January 2024 at 6:27 pm

The Erie Canal will open for its 200th navigational season on May 17. The canal will close to boaters on Oct. 16.

The state Canal Corp. announced today there will again be no tolls or fees for recreational use of the canal system this year.

“This year marks the 200th consecutive season of navigation along New York’s Canals,” the Canal Corp. announced today. “The 200th anniversary of the original Erie Canal’s completion and opening will be commemorated as the Erie Canal’s bicentennial in 2025.”

Grants available for events, projects along canal system

Provided photo: Officials at Stewart Park in Ithaca cut the ribbon for new interpretive signs that tell the story of the city's waterway history. Funding support for the signs came from a NYS Canal System Tourism Infrastructure and Amenity Grant.

Posted 8 January 2024 at 9:31 pm

Press Release, NYS Canal Corporation and Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

WATERFORD – The New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor are offering competitive grant funding to support tourism and recreation along the New York State Canal System including canal waterways and Canalway Trail.

The 2024 program will support tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements, and events. Applications are open now through February 23, 2024.

The grant program includes two funding categories: Event Support, with an award range of $500 to $3,000, and Tourism Infrastructure & Amenity Support, with an award range of $5,000 to $24,000. Applicants may apply for one or both categories.

Interested applicants are invited to attend a virtual information session on Jan. 25 at 10 a.m.

Funding is open to counties, municipalities, units of local government, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes located within the National Heritage Corridor. Applications for infrastructure projects located on land owned by the New York State Canal Corporation are open only to federal/state/local governments, unless a nonprofit applicant is currently named as a permittee on an existing Canal Corporation Use and Occupancy Permit.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Each year, as more visitors come to New York’s canalside communities for outdoor recreational activities, the Canal Corporation looks for ways to enhance and improve their experiences. The Tourism Infrastructure and Events Grant program allows us to do just that.  Working with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, we are financing bright ideas from municipalities and stakeholders throughout the Canal corridor. We look forward to bolstering local economies by supporting this new round of upgrades and improvements.”

In 2023, 37 nonprofit organizations and municipalities received NYS Canal System Tourism Infrastructure and Event Grants totaling $190,000. The grants supported seven tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements and 34 events that drew 86,500 people to the canals.

 “We are pleased to offer another year of tourism investment in the Canalway Corridor. Supporting communities in their efforts to improve recreational amenities and infrastructure and host events is a key component to a thriving and vibrant waterway,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

For details, Q&A registration, and online application, visit: www.eriecanalway.org/resources/grants/

Christmas Bird Count set for Dec. 27 at Oak Orchard Swamp

Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien: A Dark-eyed Junco is at left and an Eastern Screech Owl is at right.

Posted 23 December 2023 at 7:01 pm

Press Release, Celeste Morien, count compiler for Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count

BASOM – It’s time again for the Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count! The count began in December 1968. The National Audubon Society has been sponsoring Christmas Bird Counts since their inception.

Count compiler and Medina resident Celeste Morien would like the public to be alert for counters with spotting scopes and binoculars who will be out and about December 27th on local roads, searching for birds in fields and at bird feeders.

Here is the map showing different sections for the Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count. One of the recent counts totaled 20,843 birds in 73 species.

Filling bird feeders now and keeping them stocked ahead of the count helps fulfill the count objective of counting all wild birds seen and heard within the circle. The Oak Orchard Swamp count is centered at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge on the Orleans and Genesee County line at Route 63.

Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile diameter circle, which includes more than the refuge and state wildlife areas, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.

According to the Audubon website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.

Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a “Christmas Bird Census” that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Chapman and the enthusiasm of 27 dedicated birders, 25 Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California with most counts in or near the population centers of northeastern North America.

From December 14 through January 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.

The data collected by observers over the past century allow Audubon researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have

changed in time and space over the past hundred years.

The long term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.

If you are interested in participating in the count for December 2024, to do so please contact celeste.morien@gmail.com.

Please consider donating to the Christmas Count here since the Audubon Society no longer collects fees from each participant. (Click here for more information.)

For past results of any Christmas Bird Count, the National Audubon Society website is an excellent resource.

Master gardener urges ‘Leave the Leaves!’ to benefit soil health, nature

Photo by Katie Oakes: These Honey Locust leaves at the fairgrounds will compost in place and add nutrients and organic matter to the soil below. 

Posted 6 October 2023 at 1:00 pm

Contributed by Master Gardener Deb Roberts

The trees are turning beautiful colors…and the leaves are falling onto everything!  Before you just blow or rake those leaves into bags or to the street, STOP! There is an alternative that will improve the environment, save you money, beautify your yard, and save pollinators & other important creatures – LEAVE THE LEAVES!

According to US EPA reports we have 40 million acres of lawn in the United States making it the number one crop! The US EPA estimates that leaves and other yard debris make up 13% of our solid waste that goes to landfills. By keeping our leaves, we are reducing the solid waste in landfills and the methane they create.  Think of it as recycling in place.

Now, leaving the leaves doesn’t mean you have to just leave them where they lay, though you could, but they may not be in the best location to provide all these benefits. The optimal action you can take is to rake your leaves into garden beds or other plantings as mulch up to about 6 inches deep.

Over time the leaf mulch breaks down into the perfect fertilizer.  Also you can rake them into deeper circle-piles around established trees as mulch.  The mulch helps to retain moisture and to reduce run-off from sudden rains.

If you have extra leaves from sidewalks or driveways, leaves can be composted in a bin or pile in a corner of your yard.  A light layer of leaves can be left on grass where it will break down into fertilizer as well. All of which saves you money next year on buying mulch and fertilizers, plus it beautifies your yard – two for one!

There are exceptions, however. Black Walnut leaves and Pine Needles can inhibit desired plant growth and alter soil chemistry, so those are best kept out of your garden beds.

You may have mowed the leaves laying on the lawn in the past, which is another alternative, however leaves are a vital wildlife habitat providing food, shelter and nests for many species.  Toads, turtles, birds, butterflies in their various stages, fireflies, and bumblebees are among them. Most butterflies and moths do not migrate like the Monarch, most of them live their entire life cycle in a yard!

By leaving a layer of leaves around trees, it creates a “soft landing” for insects that drop from the tree to the ground  where they overwinter. Swallowtail butterflies and Luna moths use leaves to attach their cocoons.

Wooly bear caterpillars, which will become Isabella Tiger Moths next spring, overwinter best underneath a pile of leaves. Firefly larvae and Bumblebee queens overwinter a couple of inches under the surface of the soil and need the leaves as insulation to survive.

The larvae and insects that overwinter may even become food for baby birds next spring! If you have the space, a brush shelter with some fallen branches and a pile of leaves is a great space for insect eating animals like salamanders, toads, box turtles, and chipmunks to overwinter.

So when it’s time to rake your lawn, be a hero to wildlife and the environment by keeping leaves away from curbside pickup – Leave the Leaves!

For more information about Leaving the Leaves, check out National Wildlife Foundation, Xerces.org, and Cooperative Extension.

Winners in annual Erie Canal photo contest announced

This photo of “Sunrise Kayak Paddle” in Macedon was taken by Dan Judd of Rochester and won first place in the “On the Water” category.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2023 at 3:35 pm

The Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor has announced the winners in the 18th annual photo contest featuring scenes from the state’s canal system.

Usually there is a winning photo from Orleans County, but this year’s winners didn’t include a scene in Orleans.

There were 314 entries and judges selected first, second, and third place winners in four contest categories as well as 12 honorable mentions. The four categories include Canal Communities, Classic Canal, Along the Trail and On the Water.

“As we approach the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal in 2025, these images reveal to us what makes New York’s canals worth preserving, visiting, and celebrating,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. “We congratulate the winners and appreciate everyone who entered and shared the places and activities they love along New York’s extraordinary canals.”

Winning images can be viewed online (click here) and will be featured in the 2024 Erie Canalway calendar. The calendar will be available for free at libraries, visitor centers, and by request beginning in December.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “I send my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of this year’s annual photo contest, and my thanks to all of the exceptional photographers, amateur and professional alike, who participated. This year’s photos help us showcase the remarkable sights and recreational resources along the canal system. As celebrate the bicentennial of the Champlain Canal and prepare for the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal’s completion, they are a wonderful reminder of the Erie Canal’s legacy, impact, and presence in New York, both today and through generations of our history.”

“Fall in Fairport” was taken by Karen Millspaugh of Bergen and won first place in the “Classic Canal” category.

14 bronze statues complete in tribute to canal lock tenders

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2023 at 11:44 am

400 attend celebration as Lockport finishes 10-year, $1.5 million project

Photos by Tom Rivers

LOCKPORT – It was a day of celebration in the City of Lockport on Saturday for the dedication of a 14-statue Lock Tenders Tribute Monument.

The top photo shows descendants of the people memorialized in the statues. The descendants are wearing the blue sashes.

The monument honors the canal lock tenders who worked 12-hour days and were responsible for opening and closing the locks for boats to safely pass through. They also worked on maintenance at the site.

One of the descendants sits next to one of the new statues. Six were unveiled on Saturday. The first three were unveiled in 2020 with five more added in 2021.

These 12 Lockport Lock Tenders plus a young girl were photographed in 1897 by Frank B. Clench. The tenders were part of a 20-person workforce at the locks in 1897.

A big crowd of about 400 gathered to celebrate the completion of the monument. Thirteen of the statues are installed on the stairs in the Lockport Locks where the tenders were photographed nearly 125 years ago.

The other statue of the photographer shows Frank B. Clench taking the iconic image.

This photo shows David Kinyon, chairman of the Lockport Locks Heritage District which pushed for the Lock Tender statuary.

“Lockport’s intent has been to explain the role of the workers who made the Erie Canal such a tremendous success in opening the interior of our country to development,” Kinyon said.

“Other communities have celebrated the Erie Canal by depicting those who dug the canal, the captains who operated canal boats and even the mules who pulled the packet and freight boats,” Kinyon said. “Lockport celebrates those who manually opened and closed the 5-ton wooden gates that raised and lowered boats through the 363-mile man-made waterway.”

Kinyon speaks during the ceremony on Saturday after the six new statues were unveiled. The six new statues were covered up until their names were announced later in the program. The descendants were given VIP seating for the event.

Kinyon said the $1.5 million project has been a decade in the making. The group hoped to have it done by 2025, the 200th anniversary of the 363-mile-long Erie Canal.

The project reached the finish line two years ahead of schedule.

He praised contributors to the project, including $575,000 from Niagara County (using funds through the relicensing of the Niagara Power Project), $550,000 from the state and Canal Corp., $150,000 from the Grigg Lewis Foundation, $100,000 from the John R. Oishei Foundation, and 35 businesses in Lockport that gave $100 or more. There were also numerous fundraisers with raffle tickets, and merchandise celebrating the lock tenders, from mugs, jewelry, magnets and shirts.

Susan Geissler of Youngstown, center, designed and crafted the statues which is now the largest outdoor bronze monument in Western New York.

She sits on the steps after the ceremony for a group photo with the statues.

“It’s been a wonderful journey,” she said about the project.

She said she has develop many “wonderful friendships and relationships” through the effort that honored the lock tenders.

“I’m very humbled and proud I could you something historic that will last forever,” she said.

Geissler was presented a citation and commendation from the State Legislature which was presented by State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assembly members Michael Norris and Angelo Morinello.

Norris praised Geissler for her painstaking artistry, “right down to a wrinkle on a forehead.”

Ortt noted his Senate district includes canal communities from Niagara, Orleans and western Monroe counties. Throughout the state all canal towns are proud of their heritage, but Ortt said no community is more synonymous with the canal than Lockport.

“She has done a remarkable job with this,” Ortt said about Geissler.

Brian Stratton, director of the State Canal Corp., said the tribute to the lock tenders highlights people who were critical to the canal’s operation at its peak. He praised the Lockport community for adding an attraction along the historic waterway in time for the bicentennial celebration in 2025.

Niagara County Legislator Richard Andres praised the volunteers who pushed for the lock tender tribute, who worked for a decade to line up financing, select an artist, research the people in the original photo, and get the community to back the ambitious effort.

“We certainly wouldn’t be here without vision and a lot of communities are lacking vision,” he said. “We are happy to support people with vision and tenacity and follow through, which is sometimes rare in government.”

Andres, the county legislator, said the Erie Canal deserves more prominence locally and nationally. The canal helped turn cities on the eastern seaboard into world powers, he said.

“The canal changed the world and you’re sitting right here in the midst of it,” said Andres, a history teacher at North Tonawanda. “We need to tell people what the canal did for the world.”

Craig Williams, president of the Canal Society of New York State, said the statues will help people better connect to the history of the canal.

“It’s not just a paragraph being read,” he said. “Getting people to pay attention is essential in history. Here people can get up close and touch these statues. Once you have that attention, you get a better appreciation of history.”

People enjoy sitting and interacting with the statues after the dedication ceremony on Saturday.

4 new tugboats coming to Erie Canal

Photo courtesy of Canal Corp: This tugboat is named for Harriet Tubman and joined the Erie Canal fleet last October. The tugboat is shown in Rochester, near Tubman’s home and final resting place in Auburn.

Posted 7 August 2023 at 8:00 am

Press Release, New York Power Authority and NYS Canal Corp.

The New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation have announced a strategic investment in the future of the New York State Canal system through the procurement of four new maintenance marine vessels.

The new tugboats will be operated by Canal Corporation personnel and positioned along the 524-mile Canal system to support the continued operation and maintenance of the statewide navigable waterway.

The first two tugboats are scheduled to be delivered in 2025, the bicentennial year of the Erie Canal, with two additional tugs planned for delivery in 2027.

“With more than 200 communities along its banks, an investment in New York State’s Canal system is an investment in the upstate economy,” said New York Power Authority and Canal Corporation Trustee and Syracuse Area Canal Recreationist Bea Gonzalez. “The Canal Corporation’s workforce that maintains this historic and vital water transportation route and recreational asset will leverage these new tugboats to ensure our children and grandchildren can enjoy all of the benefits the Canal system offers for many decades to come.”

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Once placed into service, these new maintenance vessels will give our dedicated personnel the opportunity to complete their tasks safely while operating aboard modern tugboats equipped with the latest marine technology. As stewards of the Canal system, we know how important the iconic waterway is to so many communities. These new work boats will help ensure the canals continue to support economic development, community building, and expanded recreational uses across our great state for years to come.”

Staffed by Canal Corporation tugboat captains and floating plant personnel, the new steel inland tugs, each 64.5-feet long, will support operations required to maintain navigation along the Canal system. Some of this work includes buoy placement and retrieval, movement of spoils in hopper scows, transporting of dredge pipe, and mobilizing hydraulic and mechanical dredge units. In addition, the new tugs will have ice breaking capabilities built into them such as thicker steel and tighter spaced framing in the bow.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “These four new tugboats are a significant investment into the Canal Corporation’s maintenance fleet that routinely ply the waters of upstate New York. For nearly two centuries the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals have been economic engines – supporting livelihoods and commerce while spurring the growth of villages, towns, and cities – and this investment ensures our workforce can efficiently maintain the canal’s navigable waters for the next generation of users.”

In 2017, the Canal Corporation contracted with AENY, located in Northport, NY to perform a vessel assessment of its floating equipment. Based on the assessment, a long-term plan was developed to replace the aging fleet. The construction of the four new vessels will be in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Sub-Chapter M regulations and a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection will be obtained.

When delivered, the new tugs will be placed into service alongside the Tug Syracuse, a 1934 tugboat built by the State of New York that has been the workhorse of the maintenance fleet since its launch. The new tugboats also will join the Canal Corporation’s Harriet Tubman, one of 10 smaller push tugboats that have been added to the fleet over the past five years.

The Board of Trustees for the New York Power Authority, which owns and operates the New York State Canal Corporation as a subsidiary, awarded the contract to Blount Builders Inc. of Warren, Rhode Island at its July 27 meeting.

In 2020, Blount Builders Inc. successfully delivered the Breaker II, a tugboat owned and operated by the New York Power Authority that supports its generation of electricity and champions ice breaking activity in the winter months along the Niagara River in Western New York.

Canalway Corridor seeks entries in annual photo contest

Photos by Tom Rivers: A blue heron takes off in flight along the Erie Canal in Eagle Harbor on Tuesday.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 August 2023 at 11:38 am

Press Release, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

WATERFORD – The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is calling for entries for its 18th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Images should convey people enjoying activities on the waterway and Canalway Trail or show the unique character of New York’s canals and canal communities.

Winning photos will be featured in the 2024 Erie Canalway calendar. Entries must be postmarked by August 25, 2023.

Images will be judged in four contest categories: On the Water, Along the Trail, Canal Communities, and Classic Canal. Judges will select first, second, and third place winning images in each category, as well as 12 honorable mentions.

Submitted images must be horizontal format and taken within the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, which spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York. It encompasses the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities.

Click here to download official contest rules and an entry form.

About the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor preserves New York’s extraordinary canal heritage, promotes the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and fosters vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. It achieves its mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York.

Paddleboarder making epic journey across Canal, Hudson and Niagara

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 August 2023 at 11:32 am

Dan Rubinstein says traveling by water is great way to slow down and reconnect with oneself, nature

EAGLE HARBOR – A lone standing figure, on an inflatable paddleboat, is slowly working his way across the Erie Canal.

Dan Rubinstein, 49, has spent the past two weeks paddling across the Erie Canal, going about 20 to 25 miles day. He made it to Albion on Monday. He camped overnight and today is headed west to Gasport.

The canal trek is part of bigger journey that started June 24 in Montreal. Rubinstein, an Ottawa resident, went to New York City on the Hudson River. From there he took a bus to Albany to get on the Erie Canal.

After he reaches Buffalo, he will cross the Niagara River and head to Toronto.

The paddleboard expedition is part of a book he is working about our relationship with water. Not only is water critical to life, but it has the power to help people connect to themselves and nature.

“When we’re on water things slow down,” he said this morning, paddling in Eagle Harbor.

He goes about 3 miles an hour and feels like a metronome, losing himself in the repetition.

Rubinstein is a writer whose project immerses him in “blue space.” He has been interviewing people along the way – some in planned discussions but most in serendipitous encounters.

Dan Rubinstein cuts a path through the water this morning. He has been traveling on the canal the past two weeks.

On Monday evening, he met Doug Miller and Susan Starkweather Miller of Albion. They are featured on his Instagram page that chronicles his journey.

“Everybody has been welcoming and generous, and sharing their stories,” he said. “Everybody has been amazing.”

Susan Starkweather Miller, the village historian, talked about Albion’s canal history and some of the notable events and people in the past, including the 1859 bridge collapse on the canal that killed 15 people. She directed Rubinstein to the Pullman church and its 41 Tiffany stained-glass windows.

“He is a really nice guy and personable,” Starkweather Miller said. “He is very interested in hearing stories.”

She volunteers at the Brockport Welcome Center and her brother is a retired tugboat operator on the canal.

She was impressed Rubinstein took on the physical task on rowing against the current on the canal, and made the effort to hear from local people along the way.

Dan Rubinstein paddles on the 14-foot-long board.

Rubenstein said the canal brings people together of all backgrounds. He has met wealthy people on large boats and others struggling to get by who are fishing for food.

The canal became noticeably more interesting with lots of joggers, walkers and cyclists as he got near Rochester and headed east.

His trip aims to explore sustainability, health, equity, social justice and community.

“To me, paddleboarding — on rivers, lakes and oceans — is a unique way to interact with both natural and human aquatic ecosystems; it can help connect us to this vital natural resource that we often ignore or neglect,” he states on his website about this project. “Standing upright on the water, moving with or against the flow, you see yourself and your surroundings in a new way.”

Rubinstein has a working title for the book, “Water Borne.” He is also the author of “Born to Walk: The Transformative Power of a Pedestrian Act.” The book was published in 2015.

For more on Rubinstein’s Water Borne project, click here to see his website. Check here to see his Instagram account.

Rubinstein passes through Eagle Harbor headed west towards Medina.

US-Canada join to study migration patterns of lake trout in Lake Ontario

Posted 25 June 2023 at 8:23 am

Photo by Jo Johnson/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The orange-colored external acoustic tag, below the dorsal fin, identifies this fish as tagged in 2023. It is one of the first wild lake trout to be tagged in Lake Ontario.

Press Release, New York Sea Grant

OSWEGO – Lake trout research underway on Lake Ontario is part of the U.S.-Canada Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) field year on the lake.

Research collecting data on lake trout movement using acoustic telemetry tags is being led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in collaboration with the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries, with outreach assistance from New York Sea Grant (NYSG).

The tags communicate with acoustic receivers stationed on the lake bottom and collect data that will provide information about the migration patterns and habitats used by adult lake trout. This innovative technology is particularly useful for locating spawning habitats and will help to inform future restoration efforts for potentially degraded spawning sites.

More than 350 lake trout will be tagged in 2023. The tags’ battery life allows the fish to be tracked over the next ten years.

This research has already produced a “first.”

“This work in 2023 represents the first time a wild-produced lake trout has ever been tagged in Lake Ontario,” said USFWS Fish Biologist Dimitry Gorsky, Ph.D. “Lake trout are a native species that is important to the ecosystem and to the world-class sport fishery on Lake Ontario.”

The tagged fish are returned to the water to resume normal behavior to assure quality data.

New York Sea Grant is providing public outreach support to inform angling, fisheries and general public audiences about this research.

“Tagged fish that are a part of this study are marked with an external orange-colored tag,” said NYSG Great Lakes Fisheries Specialist Stacy Furgal. “If anglers catch a tagged lake trout, they can choose to return it to the water, or, if the fish is harvested, please contact Alex Gatch, agatch@usgs.gov, 607-753-9391 extension 7540, to return the internal tracking tag.”

This research is funded in part through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Erie Canal opens for 199th navigational season Friday

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Erie Canal is shown in Albion on Thursday evening, looking west from the Ingersoll Street bridge. The scene for the first time in more than a century doesn’t include a Main Street lift bridge. That span is under construction on the north side of the canal.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 May 2023 at 9:40 pm

The Erie Canal will open to boating traffic on Friday for the 199th navigational season on the historic waterway.

There won’t be any tolls or fees for recreational use of the canal system for the seventh straight year. Those tolls were normally $25 to $100 for a season pass, depending on the size of the vessel.

The entire system is scheduled to open at 7 a.m. on May 19. The standard hours of operation are 7 to 5 p.m. daily until the season closes on Oct. 12. However, the lift bridges from Fairport through Orleans County to Lockport will be operational from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the peak navigation season from May 19 through Sept. 13.

There are seven lift bridges in Orleans County – Holley, Hulberton, Ingersoll Street in Albion, Main Street in Albion, Eagle Harbor, Knowlesville and Medina. There are 16 lift bridges on the canal and the seven in Orleans are more than any other county in the state.

However, the Main Street lift bridge is under construction in Albion and won’t be in service this year. The Brockport lift bridge also is getting a major rehabilitation.

The Canal Corporation said it continues to seek seasonal employees to staff the locks and lift bridges across the canal system. Those interested in applying for a position should visit the Canal Corporation’s website.

Traffic moves across the Ingersoll Street lift bridge. The bridge will be operational for the boating traffic from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from May 19 through Sept. 13, and then 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 11.