January 2008 Update

Watershed Update: January 2008

Much has happened since the inception of your Plymouth Watershed Committee and there is much more to do. Your Watershed is just a little over a year old now. As we have previously indicated, setting out to restore the portion of the Canasawacta Creek that runs from Pharsalia to the Norwich Town Line is a 3 – 5 year project once funding is established. In the first year we have managed (to our amazement and the amazement of government agencies) to be awarded a grant through NYS for a 50/50 match (again, our ½ is $175,000, money and in-kind-services); raised a little over $6,000 dollars and continue to hold fund raisers to raise more for the matching portion of the grant; state and government agencies are “actually” talking/listening to each other, and listening to the residents of Plymouth.

You may have noticed some work that has gone on along our Watershed. Work such as the Department of Transportation (DOT) agreeing that they needed to return to areas they previously worked since what was constructed did not hold. Example: DOT went back to the bridge at ChanAldrich Road and placed rock weirs in appropriate locations to force the water toward the center of the creek; coming from Stewarts Corners toward Norwich they banked the creek near the road, placed more rock weirs and planted grass/other vegetation. The next stop was across from Ashcraft road. Here again weirs, gravel and stone pushed back along the road side of the creek and more planting of vegetation. This work was done at the urgency of your Watershed and at the expense of the state; therefore, the money did not come from the funds granted/raised by the Watershed.

Additional work between the bridge at ChanAldrich and bridge at Moon Hill was under taken by NYS Fish & Wildlife (F&W). Here your Watershed had conversations/discussions with a representative of F&W about what we were trying to accomplish, how we were trying to raise funds, etc. NYS F&W designated over $20,000 (again – this is separate from the grant award or any funds your Watershed has raised) to help restore/preserve the creek banks and reduce further flooding to homes in that area. The excavator and manpower all belong to F&W. F&W were not able to complete all that they had planned since “Murphy’s Law” struck. What has been accomplished - with the assistance of DEC and F&W - are large rocks have been used for weirs, which came from the county landfill in addition to trees donated by one of our residents. These have been placed in strategic areas with the hopes of reducing the flooding to homes in that area. A shelf was built at the bottom of the large barren bank up from Moon Hill to help in the stabilization of the bank and slow down the amount of silt/sediment being dumped in to the creek. Unfortunately, as stated before, “Murphy’s Law” stepped in an F&W were not able to get all that was planned completed, i.e., the rocks (tons of them) came from the old county landfill and the county’s excavator broke down so the one used at the landfill had to go elsewhere leaving only a loader. After using a DEC truck to transport rocks it became evident the truck bed was being damaged in addition to the fact that there were problems using only a loader to load the huge rocks on to the truck. All is not complete, but, we have a start and F&W hopes to be able to return once the weather changes in the Spring. With work going on “upstream” some residents living “downstream”, i.e., Kreiners’, have done some temporary work at their own expense (no money from grant or from fund raisers) in their portion of the creek in order to protect their property until a more permanent solution can be identified or completed.
The actual money from F&W can not be used as a match, HOWEVER, we can use the cost of the rocks (at $30/ton, approx. $1,500) and the cost of the trees (have one estimate but have asked DEC to ask their forestry folks to provide an estimate also at today’s market rate) as a match.

Your Watershed Committee also has a new member – Michele Marino (e-mail: dragonslair@citlink.net). Michele is unable to attend the majority of our regular meetings; however, she is now the contact for those that have flooding issues for the east branch of the creek in addition to volunteering to assist with establishing meetings with county/state/city officials to discuss our needs and issues. Welcome and thank you Michele!!

Could write more, but I am sure you have had your fill of the Watershed Update. Just let it be known – all of us on your committee, Dolly & Doug Marvin, Sandy Bonell Pierce, Ken Manley, Audrey & Wayne Stone, Bev Rogers, Peg & Steve Kreiner and our new member, Michele Marino greatly appreciate the support that the community is showing and wish you, your family and friends and healthy, fantastic 2008!