Genesee RiverWatchSummer 2022 Paddling Program
Since 2015, we have partnered with the City of Rochester and the Genesee Waterways Center to offer guided canoe and kayak trips on the Genesee. These excursions are great opportunities to explore the “wilderness in the city” that is the lower river and to learn about the fascinating history of the Genesee. This summer’s program will offer trips on both the lower river (between Lower Falls and the harbor) and on the section of the Genesee bordering Genesee Valley Park and secluded Red Creek. This summer, in order to enhance safety and increase the enjoyment of all participants, we are asking that participants have a basic knowledge of paddling techniques when they join our trips. To help people get that knowledge, this year we are offering two days of training for new paddlers at the Waterways Center. If you have never before been in a kayak, join us for one of these days. It will open a whole new opportunity to explore your world that is not available to those tied to the shore.
Below is the tentative program schedule for 2022. Watch for further announcements in our mailings, on the Genesee RiverWatch website and on the Genesee Waterways website.
- Saturday, June 11 – Beginner paddling training and intermediate+ skill paddle, Waterways Center
- Sunday, July 17 – Intermediate+ skill paddle, Petten St.
- Saturday, August 13 – Beginner paddling training and intermediate+ skill paddle, Waterways Center
- Saturday, September 10 – Intermediate+ skill paddle, Petten St.
- Sunday, October 2 (ROC the Riverway Weekend) – Intermediate+ skill paddle, Petten St.
Thank-you to our Supporters
This article is part of Genesee RiverWatch’s 2021 Year End Appeal Series.
2021 is behind us and, while difficult for us all, we got a great deal accomplished at Genesee RiverWatch. Thanks to you, our Year End Appeal fund drive was one of the high points of the year!
This was the third time we have come to you with a Year End Appeal. We were encouraged by the $2,000 you donated during our first drive in 2019. In 2020, your contributions increased by an amazing 266%, to over $5,000. This year you added a further 25%, donating over $6,700 to fund RiverWatch’s work on the Genesee.
As we did in 2020, our Appeal letters included detailed descriptions of key components of this work: We reported on last year’s streambank restoration project in Houghton, our annual Genesee River Basin Summit programs, and some of the significant partnerships that allow us to multiply the impact of our efforts and your donations. If you missed these articles when they first appeared, you can read them at Seeking Your Support | Genesee RiverWatch
At RiverWatch, our Year End Appeal represents a significant portion of our full year fund raising program. It makes possible the critical project development work that our volunteers must do to define erosion control, river access, public outreach, and education projects in advance of the grants that cover the cost of executing this work. As a result of your generosity, we can move forward with the ambitious schedule of work that you will hear about as 2022 progresses. Our sincere thanks to you and our best wishes for a healthy and happy 2022.
We hope to see you out enjoying the Genesee – whether on the water, hiking and biking its trails, fishing, or just relaxing and enjoying the river’s serenity.
All the best,
The Genesee RiverWatch Team
P.S. If you missed contributing during the Year End Appeal or prefer to renew your support at another time during the year, please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch and our work.
Working with Partners – The Multiplier Effect
This article is part of Genesee RiverWatch’s 2021 Year End Appeal Series – telling the stories behind our significant accomplishments.
Partnering with other organizations has been in the Genesee RiverWatch DNA since the formation of its predecessor organization, the Center for Environmental Information, in 1974. In so doing, we can take advantage of the strengths of multiple organizations while avoiding conflicts over funding and recognition. Examples abound:
River Access: In 2018-20 we partnered with the City of Rochester to design and build the first-ever dedicated canoe/kayak dock facility on the lower river at Petten Street. With a core donation from Genesee Brewery, we provided the initial impetus and funding needed to turn the City’s long-term plan for such a dock into a current reality. The city, led by DES Commissioner Norman Jones, provided additional funding, engineering and permitting resources beyond the reach of RiverWatch. The Petten Street Dock was opened in the Fall of 2020.
Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices: This year we partnered with the Livingston County Soil & Water Conservation District (LCS&WCD) to apply for a $198K Great Lakes Commission grant to implement “agricultural best management practices” on multiple farm properties in the Jaycox Creek sub watershed of the Genesee River. This work is reducing sediment and nutrient inflows to the Genesee and preserving precious farmland. The first project under this grant involved grading and installing drains and sediment control basins on 85 acres owned by three adjoining farms near North Road in Geneseo. RiverWatch brought its grant writing skills and reputation for solid implementation to the association, while Robert Stryker, Manager of the LCS&WCD, contributed his own reputation for successful project work and his detailed knowledge of the local farm community. This work will continue with additional projects in 2022.
Paddling on the River: In 2021, Genesee RiverWatch offered an expanded series of public paddle events on the Genesee in the Rochester area. To do this required partnering with the Genesee Waterways Center and Erie Canal Boat Company who provided the canoes and kayaks that allowed 71 people to explore the lower river, Red Creek and Black Creek. RiverWatch guided the trips and pointed out areas of historical, cultural, and natural interest.
Streambank Restoration: Mallards Dairy in Allegany County partnered with us on our first-ever streambank restoration project in 2017-2018. Based on this success, we again allied with Mallards to restore 1,800 feet of riverbank near Houghton, NY. As with all these projects, the goal is to preserve valuable farmland while eliminating a major source of sediment and algae-causing nutrients in the river and improving bio habitat. RiverWatch provides initial project engineering, grant writing, permitting, and project oversight skills. Its farming partners provide the “in-kind” work required by federal grant providers. In the case of the Houghton project, the Great Lakes Commission awarded a grant of $197K and Mallards Dairy paid the construction contractor $119K, for a total project value of $316K.
Special Studies at St. John Fisher College: Over the years, we have frequently partnered with St. John Fisher College faculty and students to do special studies that RiverWatch personnel do not have the time or skills to execute. In 2019, the Public Policy class studied the river cities of Milwaukee, San Antonio, Richmond, Chattanooga, and Buffalo. They developed a report that compared Rochester’s river plans with the situations faced by each of these cities and the ways in which each successfully capitalized on their river assets. In so doing, the students were exposed to real time examples of public policy being used to drive economic and environmental benefits, while RiverWatch gained insights to refine our own strategic plans. In 2020, we partnered with the head of Fisher’s Department of Media and Communications to offer a student a web design practicum focusing on upgrading the RiverWatch web site. The student’s input was helpful as we began the work to build and launch our new website in 2020.
Genesee Blueway Map: In 2019-20 we partnered with Genesee River Wilds in Allegany County and the Genesee Valley Conservancy in Geneseo to develop the Genesee River Blueway Map. The new map updates a 2004 map produced by the Sierra Club. It shows safe access points and distances between these points to facilitate trip planning. There is also a new interactive version of the map available on our website. Here again, RiverWatch used its grant writing skills to obtain $25K of NOAA Sea Grant funding to underwrite the project. We also applied our detailed knowledge of the lower river and our website mapping skills. Our partners contributed their intimate experience on the middle and upper river. In addition to the map itself, the team developed new signage for each access site showing, on the land side, the name of the site and the river mileage to that point. On the river side, these signs indicate the upcoming take-out point, its river mileage, and the distance to the next take-out point.
Your Support is Needed
Your support is critical to our ability to continue this work on behalf of our river and our community. As you know, Genesee RiverWatch is dependent on its volunteers to do this work. However, our volunteers need funding to run the organization, offer public events, and do the studies, outreach, and engineering necessary to obtain financing for the larger projects.
Please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch as a part of your year-end giving plan.
Sincerely,
The Genesee RiverWatch Team
The Story Behind the Genesee River Basin Summits
This article is part of Genesee RiverWatch’s 2021 Year End Appeal Series – telling the stories behind our significant accomplishments.
In 2014, our founding organization, the Center for Environmental Initiatives, launched Genesee RiverWatch with the first-ever Genesee River Basin Summit. On a freezing day in February, 185 attendees, representing 85 organizations, heard speakers describe the critical needs of the Genesee and participated in breakout sessions designed to flesh out and prioritize future projects. Except for COVID-affected 2020, we have hosted Summits every year since. Each has included reports to the community on our work and presented expert speakers on a wide variety of topics.
Summit Topics Since 2014
Here are the major topics discussed at each Summit since the 2014 inaugural:
- 2015 – Genesee River Basin Report Card on Water Quality. Sought participant input on the coverage and design of a future Report Card. Also sought input on potential restoration projects.
- 2016 – Streambank Erosion, Soil Loss & Sediment.
- 2017 – River Access & Recreation Opportunities.
- 2018 – Stewardship Through River Education.
- 2019 – A Report to the Community. 17 organizations reported on their work in the areas of planning, access, restoration, and education.
In addition to expert speakers on these topics, each Summit included a report by Genesee RiverWatch on its current activities, and, most importantly, multiple opportunities for the participants voice their ideas for future priority work.
We were forced to cancel the planned 2020 Summit in the face of the COVID pandemic but were determined to bring the program back this year.
2021 “Virtual” Summit
In place of a single day, in-person program, the 2021 Summit was held virtually via Zoom on four Wednesday mornings in April and May. Each session featured expert speakers on the day’s topic, a report on Genesee RiverWatch’s work in the area and time for viewer questions and suggestions. For those unable to attend the sessions live, we recorded them for posting on YouTube. Here are the topics covered in each session and the YouTube links to their recording:
Session #1 – We Need Trees How streambank projects drive the need for seedlings and juvenile trees to restore riparian zones. RiverWatch’s new Carbon Neutral Policy to offset the carbon sequestration impact of construction projects. Early report on potential crowdsourcing of trees stock. “We Need Trees” – Genesee River Basin 2021 Summit – Workshop #1 – April 7, 2021 – YouTube
Session #2 – What’s Going On – A discussion of past, current and upcoming streambank stabilization and Agricultural Best Management Practice projects. “What’s Going On?” – Genesee River Basin 2021 Summit – Workshop #2 – April 14, 2021 – YouTube
Session #3 – Got Access? – Overview of the recently published Genesee River Basin Canoe/Kayak Access Plan. Discussions of the planned Fillmore access site and the new Petten Street canoe/kayak dock. “Got Access?” – Genesee River Basin 2021 Summit – Workshop #3 – May 5, 2021 – YouTube
Session #4 – Let’s Plan a Canoe/Kayak Trip Introduction to the new Genesee River Blueway map. Description of available services at Erie Canal Boat Company and the Genesee Waterways Center. On-the-water descriptions of Genesee paddling routes from Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario. “Let’s Plan a Canoe/Kayak Trip” – Genesee River Basin Summit 2021 – Workshop #4 – May 12, 2021 – YouTube
In-person Summit sessions are much better at fostering personal interactions and friendships. They are also much better than “virtual” programs at stimulating participant ideas and debate. However, it appears that, for 2022 at least, health concerns will dictate that we continue meeting via Zoom. Keep your eyes on the Genesee RiverWatch emails and website for information on next year’s Summit program. We hope you can attend, in particular because your ideas and viewpoints make these programs more valuable for all of us.
Your Support is Needed
Your support is critical to our ability to continue this work on behalf of our river and our community. As you know, Genesee RiverWatch is dependent on its volunteers to do this work. However, our volunteers need funding to run the organization, offer public events, and do the studies, outreach, and engineering necessary to obtain financing for the larger projects.
Please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch as a part of your year-end giving plan.
Sincerely,
The Genesee RiverWatch Team
Paddling the Genesee – 2021 Season Report & 2022 Outlook
There is no substitute for experiencing the Genesee from water level. That’s why between May and October, Genesee RiverWatch partnered with both the Genesee Waterways Center and the Erie Canal Boat Company to provide guided paddles on the Genesee, as well as Black Creek and Red Creek. In total, 71 people joined us, with each trip attracting between 2 and 17 paddlers.
The season kicked off with two weekends of kayaking from the docks at Black Creek and Petten Street. Erie Canal Boat Company provided our kayaks and equipment. Genesee RiverWatch guided the participants north on the Genesee from Black Creek to the Erie Canal and south past the RIT campus. On a particularly windy day, we explored the sheltered and remote channels of Black Creek. Along the way, we discussed the history of our river and saw parts of the old Genesee Valley Canal and Genesee Valley Canal Railroad. The following weekend, we kayaked up the lower river from the new Petten Street kayak/canoe dock, past the old coal shipping port and the new Lehigh Cement docks. We discussed the river’s role in the Underground Railway and watched the modern dredging operation that maintains Rochester’s deep-water channel for lake traffic.
From June through ROC the River Weekend in October, we used the Genesee River Waterways Center’s canoes and kayaks to further explore the lower Genesee from Petten Street and to investigate Red Creek from its mouth on the Erie Canal to the limits of navigability south of Crittenden Road. In addition to being quiet and sheltered, Red Creek nurtures a wealth of wildlife including painted turtles, ducks, herons, egrets, and muskrats.
Looking forward to 2022 and beyond, we want to increase the number of available paddling dates, add new sections of the river to paddle, create opportunities for individuals and families who do not know how to paddle to learn the sport, and find ways to incorporate K-12 educational experiences in the program. Be sure to join our mailing list and “friend” us on Facebook to get advance notice of upcoming events and the 2022 paddling program.
See you on the river!
The Story Behind the Houghton Streambank Project
This article is part of Genesee RiverWatch’s 2021 Year End Appeal Series – telling the stories behind our significant accomplishments.
In 2017-18 we completed our first streambank restoration project at a site near Belfast, NY, owned by Mallards Dairy, LLC. Our restoration projects are designed to reduce sediment and nutrient inflows to the Genesee and improve aquatic habitat in the river. This project was so successful that RiverWatch and the landowner – whose farmland was preserved – were eager to undertake additional sites.
In 2019 and 2020, RiverWatch executed projects near Fillmore and Angelica with different landowners. In the course of this work, we gathered experience with the varied geology of the Genesee and construction techniques required to both stabilize/recover the riverbank and improve aquatic habitat in the river.
Each of these projects has been funded by significant grants from the federal government and, in one case, a trust stemming from the Kodak bankruptcy. Before applying for these grants however, RiverWatch expends considerable time and money in developing landowner relationships; discussing permitting issues with local, state, and federal authorities; and the preliminary engineering required to establish project feasibility and cost estimates. This work is entirely supported by our volunteers and our donors.
In 2020, we identified an 1,800 foot stretch of riverbank south of Houghton, NY, as our next restoration target. This rapidly eroding property is owned by Mallards Dairy and used to grow feed for their dairy operation in Cuba, NY. A $197K grant from the Great Lakes Commission, supplemented by a $119K commitment from Mallards Dairy, allowed us to begin the work of detailed engineering and formal permitting.
In its original state, the property had 6-15 foot tall, near-vertical banks, composed of light sandy soils. This is typical of many stretches of the Genesee and is part of the region’s glacial legacy. Being on the outside of a riverbend, erosion during high water events was significant and would be reduced with streambank restoration.
Based on our experience, the project was engineered to cut back the angle of the bank, creating three tiers which are stabilized by a combination of rock and interlaced tree trunks and, eventually, topped by plantings of willow trees and bushes. In addition, we installed five rock “barbs”, protruding into the river, which slow the current during high water and redirect it away from the bank toward the middle of the stream.
Harvesting and planting of willow stakes started in November and will continue next spring. Additional bushes and, possibly, juvenile trees will be added in 2022-23.
Your support is critical to our ability to continue this work on behalf of our river and our community. As you know, Genesee RiverWatch is dependent on its volunteers to do this work. However, our volunteers need funding to run the organization, offer public events, and do the studies, outreach, and engineering necessary to obtain financing for the larger projects.
Please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch as a part of your year-end giving plan.
Sincerely,
The Genesee RiverWatch Team
Seeking Your Support
2021 Year End Appeal
Please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch as a part of your year-end giving plan as we continue our work to improve the water quality of the Genesee River and its tributaries and to connect people to the river. Our approach to this work is based on core values established over 40 years ago and include a commitment to inform and educate, to base our actions on science and data and to collaborate with others. Regardless of geographical boundaries, charters, or funding sources, RiverWatch and its partners share the common vision of “a healthy and sustainable Genesee River ecosystem that is an environmental, recreational, and economic asset for all generations”. Learn more about the “multiplier effect” on our working partnerships.
2021 Accomplishments
Despite another challenging “Covid” year, the Genesee RiverWatch team continued to move forward with those activities that could be done safely. Here are some of the projects and programs that we completed this year:
- Restored 1,800 feet of eroded streambank just south of the Village of Houghton. This $316K project was funded by a $197K grant from the Great Lakes Commission and $119K of matching funds provided by Mallards Dairy, LLC, the property owner. Restoration planting has begun and will continue into 2022. Learn more about this project.
- Offered 11 days of guided paddling on the lower river between Black Creek and the Rochester Harbor. 2021 represented a dramatic expansion of this program from the 3 days offered in prior years. 71 people joined us, using kayaks and canoes provided by Erie Canal Boat Company and the Genesee River Waterways Center. Read more about our 2021 summer paddles!
- Partnered with the Livingston County Soil & Water Conservation District in an on-going $251K program, funded by the Great Lakes Commission, to implement agricultural best management practices along the Jaycox Creek tributary of the Genesee. The first of these projects was completed in June on 85 acres of fields owned by three adjoining farms east of Geneseo, NY. The work will dramatically reduce soil loss in this area and cut sediment and nutrient flows into the Main Stem of the Genesee.
- Re-started our annual series of Genesee River Basin Summits after the COVID-caused hiatus in 2020. This year’s “virtual” program took place over four days in April and May and covered topics related to streambank restoration, trees/carbon sequestration, and recreational use of the Genesee. Learn more about our Genesee River Basin Summits.
Your support is critical to our ability to continue this work on behalf of our river and our community. As you know, Genesee RiverWatch is dependent on its volunteers to do this work. However, even volunteers need funding to run the organization, offer public events, and do the studies, outreach, and engineering necessary to obtain financing for the larger projects.
Please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch as a part of your year-end giving plan.
Sincerely,
The Genesee RiverWatch Team
Fall Newsletter 2021
Dear Friends,
We are rapidly approaching the end of the year and are enormously grateful for the involvement and support of our partners, volunteers, event participants and donors. As you read this newsletter, you will learn about the impact of each of these groups during the second half of 2021. You will see our partners working to preserve precious farmland, volunteers collecting water quality data and re-planting eroded streambanks, event participants enjoying their time on the river and giving us ideas for even better programs next year, and donors behind the scenes, making all this work possible. Taken together, all of us are working to realize the Vision of “a healthy and sustainable Genesee River ecosystem that is an environmental, recreational and economic asset for all generations”.
We wish you all a wonderful holiday season and hope to see you on and around the Genesee in 2022!
Sincerely,
- Mike Haugh, President of the Board
- George Thomas, Executive Director
Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Award Winners
Genesee RiverWatch announced its 2021 Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Award recipients. The awards are given to individuals, organizations, projects, or events in recognition of significant contributions to our mission of “championing solutions that improve the water quality of the Genesee and initiatives that connect people to the River”. Our three recipients are:
- Commissioner Norman Jones manages the Department of Environmental Services for the City of Rochester. Commissioner Jones played a key role in implementing the Petten Street Boat Launch car-top boat launch opened in September, 2020. Despite delays and budget challenges, his unwavering support and partnership with Genesee RiverWatch brought this idea to reality. Dozens of people make use of this dock every weekend from spring through fall – paddling upstream for recreation and to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the Genesee.
- Robert Stryker is the Manager of the Livingston County Soil & Water Conservation District. His work to develop and implement Agricultural Best Management Practices (AgBMP) is directly supportive of the RiverWatch mission to improve water quality in the Genesee River watershed. In 2020 Bob partnered with Genesee RiverWatch to secure grants to implement multiple AgBMP projects in the Jaycox Creek watershed of Livingston County. The initial 85-acre project on North Road in Geneseo was begun in October 2020 and completed in July 2021.
- Michael Kannard has been an active volunteer for Genesee RiverWatch for two years. In addition to being a valuable member of the Citizen Monitoring Program, Mike helped harvest and plant live willow stakes on RiverWatch and other streambank projects, and helped us secure funding for upgrading canoe and kayak access sites in Avon and Geneseo.
- Learn more about the award winners and their accomplishments.
Streambank Restoration
Our work to improve water quality includes stabilizing and restoring streambanks and helping apply agricultural best management practices that reduce sediment and phosphorus loads to the river, and slow the rate of erosion, preserving agricultural land and fertile topsoil. These projects also restore and improve wildlife habitat in the river by establishing riparian zones. We currently have several active projects along the Genesee River in Allegany and Livingston Counties and have provided updates below.
Mallards Dairy #2/Town of Caneadea
Construction on this project to restore 1,800 feet of eroded streambank along the Genesee River just south of the Village of Houghton, NY, began in September 2021 and was completed in October 2021. The contractor excavated the banks, completed the toe wood construction, and built five rock vanes in the river. The field is owned and cultivated by Mallards Dairy, LLC to support their large dairy operation in Cuba, NY. The owner, Charlie Bares, provided all of the funding to hire the contractor as his match for this $320,000 project. He and his wife, Elizabeth, also helped with the initial harvesting and planting of willow stakes in the benches of the toe wood construction along with other volunteers and 17 conservation class students from Livonia, NY. Heavy rains and a COVID quarantine affecting a large group of volunteers disrupted our original plan to harvest and plant 6,000 willow stakes. We will work to have the remainder planted by spring 2022. Learn more about this project.
Agricultural Best Management Practices Project/Livingston County
Genesee RiverWatch has been working with the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District (LCS&WCD) since 2020 to identify farm fields in the Jaycox Creek subwatershed that are candidates for application of agricultural best management practices to reduce erosion and soil loss. The primary practices being considered are terraces, grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins (WASCOBs), and underground outlets. The first project was completed in June 2021 and involved an 85-acre area east of Geneseo, NY, owned by three separate farms. The work included the installation of 5 WASCOBs, 2,400 feet of underground drainage, and 1,400 feet of grassed waterways.
Two additional projects have been identified in partnership with LCS&WCD. These projects were begun this fall and will be completed before the growing season in 2022. The first one is on a horse farm north of Geneseo, NY, involving improvements to the poor drainage around the stables to reduce the runoff and subsequent soil erosion. The second project is on a farm field east of Geneseo, NY which has significant erosion across the field causing runoff of soil and phosphorus.
Paddling the Genesee
Between May and October, Genesee RiverWatch partnered with both the Genesee Waterways Center and the Erie Canal Boat Company to provide guided paddles on the Genesee, as well as Black Creek and Red Creek. In total, 71 people joined us, with each trip attracting between 2 and 17 paddlers. Learn more about the 2021 Paddling season, our outlook for 2022, and enjoy Mike Haugh’s photography of the river!
Genesee River Blueway Map: The Genesee River Blueway Map is available for use by canoeists and kayakers who wish to explore and connect with the river. Available as a downloadable overview map or an interactive map.
Canoe/Kayak Access Projects
Genesee RiverWatch is continuing to work with our partners toward improving access to the river for car-top boaters.
Avon/Geneseo – The US Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded Genesee RiverWatch a grant to upgrade canoe/kayak access sites on the Genesee River in Avon and Geneseo. We expect funding to be available by March 2022 and to complete construction by December 2022.
Houghton – Genesee River Wilds has recently reached an agreement with the Village of Houghton to create a new access site near their wastewater treatment plant. Work has been completed to grade the access road and parking lot. The site will be available for the 2022 boating season. Genesee RiverWatch will provide Blueway signs and include the site on our interactive map.
Fillmore – Genesee River Wilds has been working to secure an official access site in Fillmore to take the place of the unofficial site that has been there for years. The current unofficial site was closed down by the new landowner recently. Genesee RiverWatch has assisted Genesee River Wilds by acting as liaison with the owner of the property on the other side of the river from the old site. The landowner has agreed to allow Allegany County to complete construction. This site is expected to be available for use in the 2022 season. Genesee RiverWatch will provide Blueway signs and include the site on our interactive map.
Genesee River Silver Cleanup – Dec 15th Status Overview
This summer, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) began dredging work to remove pockets of sediment contaminated with silver in the Genesee River below Lower Falls. Genesee RiverWatch and the Genesee Finger Lakes Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association are proud to partner on the following presentation: Status of the Lower Genesee River Corrective Action – NYSDEC Environmental Response Trust to be held on Dec 15th. Learn more and register.
2021 Year End Appeal
Our Year End Appeal is underway and we are seeking your support! Please consider investing $100, $250 – or an amount of your choosing – in Genesee RiverWatch as a part of your year-end giving plan. Help us continue our work to improve the water quality of the Genesee River and its tributaries and to connect people to the river. Our work is only made possible through our generous supporters.
2021 Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Awards
Genesee RiverWatch is pleased to announce its 2021 Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Award recipients – Commissioner Norm Jones, Robert Stryker and Michael Kannard. The awards are given to individuals, organizations, projects or events in recognition of significant contributions to our mission of “championing solutions that improve the water quality of the Genesee and initiatives that connect people to the River”. Nominations were solicited in early summer 2021 for review and selection by the Board of Directors of Genesee RiverWatch. The awards are given in honor of Elizabeth Thorndike, longtime supporter of Genesee RiverWatch and one of the founders of its predecessor organization, the Center for Environmental Information.
Award winners have demonstrated success in (1) improving the water quality of the Genesee River Basin; (2) creating environmental, recreational, and economic assets for their communities; and/or (3) connecting people to the river by encouraging them to explore, experience, and celebrate the river.
A separate category of the awards recognizes volunteers whose work on behalf of Genesee RiverWatch has significantly aided us in furthering our Mission.
Commissioner Norm Jones – Petten Street Access
Commissioner Norman Jones manages the Department of Environmental Services for the City of Rochester. In that role, Commissioner Jones oversaw the development of the City’s Harbor Management Plan, including the idea of a car-top boat launch at the end of Petten Street. Adding reality to this item, a placeholder amount of $20K was included in the City’s 2017-18 Capital Plan. When Genesee RiverWatch obtained a $13K donation for this project from Genesee Brewery, Commissioner Jones authorized his staff to begin a project siting, engineering, and permitting study.
Over the next two years, in the face of severe budgetary constraints, Commissioner Jones’ unwavering support for this project was crucial to keeping it funded and on track. Despite the delay in project timing, he preserved the originally budgeted funding. When preliminary engineering estimates substantially exceeded the initial $33K, he negotiated with suppliers to reduce their proposed fees and successfully challenged Genesee RiverWatch to find additional donations.
The new dock was formally opened on September 12, 2020. Dozens of people make use of this dock every weekend from spring through fall – paddling upstream for recreation and to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the Genesee. Along the way, they have the opportunity to explore the river’s history as a pathway for commerce in wheat, coal and iron and learn of its role as a critical final link in the Underground Railroad. The Petten Street dock makes this easy and safe for those who have their own boats or participate in Genesee RiverWatch’s public paddling events, including those who need the dock’s handicapped access equipment.
As projected in the Harbor Management Plan, this facility is a significant recreational asset for our community. Commissioner Jones’ steadfast advocacy and fiscal management of this project perfectly represent the high standards that the Thorndike Environmental Leadership Awards are intended to recognize.
Robert Stryker – Jaycox Creek Agricultural Best Management Practices
As Manager of the Livingston County Soil & Water Conservation District, Bob’s daily work involves promoting and implementing agricultural “best management practices” (AgBMPs) on farms in Livingston County. These BMPs reduce soil loss and, with it, the amount of phosphorus and sediment that flows into the region’s waterways and the Genesee River. His success in this work is based on years of cultivating trusted relationships with the county’s farmers.
Since its launch in 2014, Bob has been an active partner with Genesee RiverWatch. His work to develop and implement AgBMPs is directly supportive of the RiverWatch mission to improve water quality in the Genesee River watershed. He has been an active participant and valued speaker at several of the annual Genesee River Basin Summits. Furthermore, he has been extremely helpful in helping define new projects in the Canaseraga Creek watershed and the Middle Basin of the Genesee.
In 2020, Bob partnered with Genesee RiverWatch to secure a $198K grant ($251K including farmer in-kind contributions) from the Great Lakes Commission that will implement multiple AgBMP projects in the Jaycox Creek watershed of Livingston County. The initial 85-acre project on North Road in Geneseo was begun in October 2020 and completed in July 2021. Under Bob’s supervision, fields owned by three farms were graded and an extensive system of drains and sediment control basins (WASCOB’s) was constructed. A second project under this grant will begin this fall, preserving more valuable farmland in the Jaycox watershed and further reducing sediment and nutrient flows into the Genesee River.
Bob’s skilled work in mobilizing Livingston County farmers to undertake farmland preservation and water quality improvement projects, as well as his expert management of the projects being done under the current Great Lakes Commission grant, perfectly represent the high standards that the Thorndike Environmental Leadership Awards are intended to recognize.
Michael Kannard – Citizen Monitoring Program Volunteer
Michael is a professional landscape architect who has been an active volunteer for Genesee RiverWatch for two years. He started as a Citizen Monitoring Program team member, sampling at Black Creek and on the main stem of the Genesee River. His responsibilities have him going out two to four times per month, regardless of weather, to collect and analyze water samples for phosphorus and sediment levels. In a program where consistent and timely sample collection is essential, Michael’s reliability has been remarkable.
Early in his tenure as a volunteer in the Monitoring Program, Michael expressed an interest in helping RiverWatch with other projects. Making use of his professional experience, he became a key member of the team investigating the idea of crowdsourcing trees for use in streambank restoration projects. As part of that work, he has helped harvest and plant live willow stakes on one RiverWatch streambank project and supply stakes for projects being run by the Genesee Community Charter School and the Oatka Creek Watershed Committee.
Michael has also been instrumental in helping RiverWatch secure funding for upgrading canoe and kayak access sites in Avon and Geneseo. His research investigating design alternatives, and subsequent drawings used in the grant application, lent clarity and credibility to the proposal, building confidence among the reviewers that the projects would be executed properly.
Michael’s work as a Genesee RiverWatch volunteer has greatly aided the organization in performing its Mission and is a perfect example of the high standards that the Thorndike Environmental Leadership Awards are intended to recognize.
Genesee RiverWatch Videos on new Youtube Channel
Genesee RiverWatch has launched a YouTube channel as a convenient way of finding our videos.
Video playlists at time of this writing include:
- About Genesee RiverWatch
- 2021 Genesee River Basin Summit Workshops – Zoom recordings of virtual workshops held in April and May 2021
- American Dairy Association Videos – educational videos on soil health and dairy farming practices
- Melissa Skyer (RIT) Lectures on Watershed Modeling and Riparian zones