Road Ecology Center

The Canasawacta Creek Watershed Initiative grew out of a desire to address the root causes of flooding, bank erosion, bridge scour and property damage that was a recurrent problem for both the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the inhabitants of the creek valley. Rather than continue with the old paradigm of fixing the problem spots NYSDOT, working through Region 9 office in Binghamton and its Main Office in Albany, requested the help of environmental specialists within the department as well as from other state and county agencies to address the problem more holistically and permanently. The first public meeting was held in the Town of Plymouth, Chenango County, in March of 2006. Over forty people attended; half were townspeople. The rest represented various entities including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Highway Administration and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition. An interagency technical team was formed and an initial evaluation of a four mile stretch of the creek was performed in early June, 2006. Despite devastating flooding that occurred at the end of June, an action plan was developed and presented at a second public meeting at the end of August, 2006. NYSDOT began work in the stream in September and October of 2006. Additional work is planned for the summer of 2007. Armed with the findings of the interagency technical team, the residents of the watershed have organized themselves into a watershed committee that is working through the town to implement the parts of the plan that address private property. The watershed committee has spearheaded a town newsletter to keep everyone informed, and there is a watershed blog available on the Internet. The watershed committee has received a $179,000 grant from the NYSDEC. The grant requires a 50% match in funds which can be met by agencies such as NYSDOT and NYSDEC working in the watershed, as long as the work is in conformance with the overall watershed plan.

There are several interesting aspects of the watershed approach used in the Canasawacta Creek Project. The watershed approach requires cross-jurisdictional communication and cooperation, although there are unresolved issues such as funding and liability. The social and organizational skills necessary for a successful project are as important as the scientific and engineering expertise. The methodology used to prioritize various sites for remediation is supported by classic risk assessment methodology. Finally, because of the extensive baseline data recorded by NYSDOT during the past several decades, the project offers the opportunity to evaluate the effects of the interventions undertaken in the watershed.