Genesee RiverWatchFall Newsletter 2023
Dear Friends and Supporters:
As we transition from the vibrant colors of fall to the upcoming winter, we are pleased to bring you the latest edition of our newsletter. Join us as we reflect on the successes of the past season and peek ahead into the New Year. From environmental stewardship activities such as streambank restoration to community engagement opportunities such as river paddling events, we are committed to fostering a deeper connection between individuals and the Genesee River. In this issue, we share updates on our ongoing efforts to champion solutions that improve the water quality of the Genesee River Basin and connect people to this invaluable natural resource. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the Genesee River and its surrounding communities.
Sincerely,
Mike Haugh, President of the Board
George Thomas, Executive Director
Recreation in the Genesee River Basin
The Genesee River Basin is filled with natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Whether you are looking for a woodland or riverside walk, an experience paddling on the River or relaxing time fishing…the Genesee has something to offer. We have recently added “Recreation” as a key segment of our website’s Home Page. From here, you can easily access a wealth of information on the activities outlined below:
Hiking
There are wonderful hiking opportunities in the Genesee River Basin. Trail systems include the Genesee Riverway in the City of Rochester, the Genesee Valley Greenway that extends 90 miles from Rochester to Cuba, the 15-mile Lehigh Valley Trail in southern Monroe County and extensive network of routes in Letchworth State Park. From these, we have compiled our own list of trails that – as a rule – are less well known and should have very little traffic. Trail descriptions.
Paddling on the River
The Genesee River Blueway Map is available for use by canoeists and kayakers who wish to explore and connect with the river. In addition, each year Genesee RiverWatch partners with the Genesee Waterways Center and the City of Rochester for organized Summer Paddles on the Genesee River.
Fishing
The Genesee River and its tributaries offer a rich variety of angling opportunities – from fly-casting for trout in sparkling clear water to fighting huge salmon near the base of a 100-foot waterfall. Learn more.
2023 Paddling Season Wrap-up
Our heartfelt thanks to those who joined us in making 2023’s summer paddling season on the Genesee the most successful ever. 102 paddlers joined us during the five events this summer – far more than in any previous year!
Genesee RiverWatch, in partnership with the Genesee Waterways Center and the City of Rochester, has offered summer paddles on the river since 2018. We feel strongly that the best way to really appreciate this marvelous asset is to explore it from water level, along with the herons, turtles, muskrat, mink, and occasional eagles that make their homes on the river and its banks. Read about all the paddles here.
Streambank Restoration & Agricultural Best Management
Our work to improve water quality includes stabilizing and restoring eroding streambanks and applying agricultural best management practices that reduce sediment and phosphorus loads to the river, and that slow the rate of erosion, preserving agricultural land and fertile topsoil. These projects also restore and improve wildlife habitat in and along the river by establishing wild plantings in the riparian zones.
2023 Project Updates
Agricultural Best Management Practices (Ag BMPs) in Livingston County
Work was completed on five Agricultural Best Management Practices projects in September 2023 to reduce nutrient loads from the Jaycox Creek-Genesee River watershed. The funding for this work was granted in part based upon a 2018 study by Genesee RiverWatch that identified 32 significant gullies on the main stem of the Genesee River in the Jaycox Creek-Genesee River Watershed.
Ultimately projects were designed and implemented by Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District that utilized 23 Ag BMPs at five sites as described in the table below. Genesee RiverWatch provided project management services for this project, including financial management and reporting quarterly, to the grant provider, the Great Lakes Commission.
| Project | Work Done | Total Cost (K$) | Grant (K$) | Match (K$) | Match (%) |
| North Road | WASCOBS*, underground outlets, sub-surface drainage, grassed waterways | $153.1 | $ 61.9 | $ 91.3 | 60% |
| KJ Farms | Heavy use area protection | $ 19.6 | $ 14.7 | $ 4.8 | 25% |
| Brady Farm | WASCOBS*, underground outlets, sub-surface drainage | $ 47.8 | $ 31.6 | $ 16.2 | 34% |
| Mt. Pleasant | Catch basin, retention pond, access road | $119.2 | $ 41.8 | $ 77.4 | 65% |
| Baily Farm | Contour farming | $ 29.6 | $ 25.6 | $ 3.9 | 13% |
| Total | $369.4 | $175.6 | $193.7 | 52% |
Babbitt’s Farm – Genesee River Streambank Restoration
The project will restore 850 feet of highly eroded streambank on Babbitt’s Farm north of Caneadea, NY. We will also install river training structures to prevent further erosion at the site and downstream, affecting 2,250 feet of riverbed. This project is funded by a $200,000 grant from the Great Lakes Commission and a $50,000 in-kind match by the landowner, Babbitt’s Farm. Detailed design is in progress. A pre-application meeting with NYSDEC and the Army Corps of Engineers will be held by year end 2023. We are currently working on a Memorandum of Understanding with the 3 landowners that will be impacted and plan to submit permit applications this winter for 2024 construction.
Oatka Creek – Genesee River Tributary Streambank Restoration
New York Sea Grant has awarded Genesee RiverWatch a $48,400 grant to restore eroded streambanks and prevent erosion on Oatka Creek using bio-engineering techniques that create aquatic and riparian habitat. The project design will demonstrate an approach that maximizes the use of on-site materials and minimizes the use of costly materials and equipment from off-site. The State Historic Preservation Office and NYSDEC have approved our permit applications. We are preparing a response to comments received from the Army Corps of Engineers and expect to receive our permits by year end 2023. Construction will be completed next summer.
Rush Creek Riparian Restoration
A grant from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation/Sustain Our Great Lakes and a significant amount of matching work by Allegany County Highway Department and Allegany County S&WCD will enable us to stabilize and re-direct the flow of Rush Creek to prevent erosion both on the creek itself and on the West Bank of the Genesee, where the creek meets the river. This is a complex project with significant regulatory/environmental issues and several landowners involved. We expect to submit the permit application by early 2024 and begin construction in the fall of 2024.
Quick Notes:
Genesee RiverWatch Welcomes New Board Members
We are pleased to welcome Steve Orr and Kristen Traywick to our Board of Directors:
- Steve Orr – For 40 years, Steve was a leading reporter and columnist for the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester. In that time, his most enduring interest and impactful work centered on the environment and natural resource conservation.
- Kristin Traywick – Kristin works as Senior Director, Finance – Clinical Trials at ACM Global Laboratories. Kristin has a long history of volunteering including as a previous volunteer for Genesee RiverWatch, Wildtracks in Belize, and Merazonia, a wildlife rescue organization in Ecuador.
Learn more about our Staff and Board of Directors.
Photo Galleries
Ever since we launched Genesee RiverWatch, we have planned to organize the many beautiful photos taken by Genesee RiverWatch volunteers into Photo Galleries. We have finally got a start and invite you to check out on our new Photo Galleries page.
Genesee River Blueway Map Update
The Genesee River Blueway Map is your guide to paddling the Genesee from its headwaters in Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario. It shows safe access sites and provides the river mileage between these points. Currently, the map is available as a tri-fold brochure at many of the access sites and is downloadable from our website. Also on the website is an interactive map that will allow you to custom plan your route and print a more detailed map specific to your plan. In the Spring we will release an updated map, adding hiking trails along the river, new access sites, and areas where Genesee RiverWatch has executed river improvement projects. Watch your email and our website for the announcement of this major upgrade.
Canoe/Kayak Access Projects
Genesee RiverWatch is continuing to work to improve access to the river for fishing and car-top boaters. We have begun work with our partners to improve boating access sites off Route 20 in the village of Avon and at Geneseo River Access Park in the village of Geneseo. Engineering plans have been finalized and permit applications submitted. Construction is to be completed next summer.
Anticipating Our 50th Anniversary in 2024
Genesee RiverWatch launched in 2014 but it is important to note that we grew directly out of the Center for Environmental Information (CEI), formed in 1974 – so yes, we will soon be 50 years old! The organization carries on the CEI principles of – Collaboration, Education and Public Information. To these Genesee RiverWatch adds implementation of projects. You will be hearing more about this history and our celebration in 2024.
Donor Support Helps Us Do Our Work – Please Support our Year End Appeal!
Genesee RiverWatch relies heavily on community support to continue its work of improving water quality and connecting people to the river. We are very appreciative of Our Supporters. Please consider a donation.
Summer 2023 Paddling Season Wrap-up
Our heartfelt thanks to those who joined us in making 2023’s summer paddling season on the Genesee the most successful ever. 102 paddlers joined us during the five events this summer – far more than in any previous year!
Genesee RiverWatch, in partnership with the Genesee Waterways Center and the City of Rochester, has offered summer paddles on the river since 2018. We feel strongly that the best way to really appreciate this marvelous asset is to explore it from water level, along with the herons, turtles, muskrat, mink, and occasional eagles that make their homes on the river and its banks.
We began the season on June 23rd with an evening “Family Fun Day – Learn to Paddle” program. Waterways Center and RiverWatch staff were on the water as guides and instructors for those new to kayaking. The threat of rain clearly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits as the photo below attests.
On July 9th we paddled up the Genesee to the Erie Canal and from there to Red Creek. This narrow and secluded by-way is home to painted turtles, white egrets, geese, and muskrats. As we paddled up the creek, away from I-390 and under the Genesee Valley Park bridges, the trees grew over the waterway, forming an almost silent green tunnel, broken by stretches of open sun. Eventually, we were blocked by fallen logs and had to turn around and retrace our steps back to the river.
August 5th found us back on Red Creek with our “Environmental Stewardship” paddle. We were joined by staff from Seneca Park Zoo who described the invasive threats to our waters and well as adding to our knowledge of the creek’s resident fauna. Along the way, we picked up trash that had accumulated in the creek from the adjoining park activities.
Our fourth event, on September 17th, was a “first time ever” event for all of us. We paddled 4.5 miles up the Erie Canal to Lock 33 at Edgewood Avenue. Going through an Erie Canal lock in a kayak and getting a water-level view of the lock’s operation and massive scale was an opportunity none of us will soon forget. Leaving the lock, we feasted on apples from a tree overhanging the canal, then exited at the White-Water Paddling Center at Lock 32 in Pittsford.
Our final paddle of the season took place on October 7th – Roc the Riverway Weekend. On a chilly and breezy day, we paddled downriver from the Waterways Center to the Ford Street Bridge, enjoying the fall foliage and Rochester city skyline.
Photo Gallery July, 2023 Genesee River to Red Creek
To enlarge, click the image. Images can be downloaded for sharing and personal use. Right click to get options.
Photo Gallery Aug 5th, 2023 Environmental Stewardship Paddle on the Genesee River, Erie Canal, Red Creek
To enlarge, click the image. Images can be downloaded for sharing and personal use. Right click to get options.
Photo Gallery Oct 7th, 2023 City Skyline Paddle on the Genesee River
To enlarge, click the image. Images can be downloaded for sharing and personal use. Right click to get options.
Photo Gallery Sept 17th, 2023 Paddle Genesee River to the Erie Canal
To enlarge, click the image. Images can be downloaded for sharing and personal use. Right click to get options.
Photo Galleries
Here you will find a selection of Photo Galleries from Genesee RiverWatch. Unless otherwise noted, photos were taken by Genesee RiverWatch volunteers, most notably Mike Haugh. You are welcome to browse and download any of the photos for sharing with friends and family (non-commercial use, please!). They are organized by event date or location.
2023 Summer Paddles
July, 2023 Genesee River to Red Creek
Aug 5th, 2023 Environmental Stewardship Paddle on the Genesee River, Erie Canal, Red Creek
Hiking along the Genesee: Indian Fort Nature Preserve
Indian Fort Nature Preserve, Geneseo Area, 2.2 miles of trails
This heavily wooded preserve, owned by the Genesee Valley Conservancy, is a hidden gem on the east bank of the Genesee River in the town of Geneseo, Livingston County. The 60-acre tract takes its name from 100-foot-long log-and-earth palisades that Seneca residents built centuries ago to protect a settlement there. The palisades are gone but the deep ravines that also guarded the village remain, as do dramatic waterfalls and 2.2 miles of well-marked hiking trails that are easy to moderate in difficulty with some steep sections. One of the trails leads down to the Genesee River, where the conservancy maintains a landing for kayaks and canoes. The property’s history as the site of a Seneca fortification led to its inclusion on the National Registry of Historic Places.
A trail map and other information is available on Indian Fort’s web page.
The property is on Jones Bridge Road, which runs west from Route 63 about 1.75 miles south of the village of Geneseo. (Note that the preserve is on the east side of the river. Another section of Jones Bridge Road can be found on the west side of the river but there is no bridge connecting the two parts of the road.) If one is driving on I-390, get off at Exit 7 and take Route 63 north two miles to Jones Bridge Road.
For people travelling on the water, the preserve has its own landing on the east bank of the Genesee River. It’s on a straight stretch of water with oxbow turns both north and south of the landing.
Hiking in the Genesee River Basin
There are wonderful hiking opportunities in the Genesee River Basin. Trail systems include the Genesee Riverway in the City of Rochester, the Genesee Valley Greenway that extends 90 miles from Rochester to Cuba, the 15-mile Lehigh Valley trails in southern Monroe County, and Letchworth State Park. Mendon Ponds Park also has ample opportunities for hiking. From these, we have compiled our own list of trails that – as a rule – are less well known and should have very little traffic. Put on your walking shoes and hit the trails to take in the natural beauty of the Genesee, surrounding woodlands and local wildlife and birds. Along the way, you are likely to see historical evidence of the importance of the Genesee to the development of the region.
Most of these routes are described as point-to-point. If you do them this way, you will want to leave a second car at the end point. You could also do them as out-and-back trips with a single car; possibly doing half the route one day and, starting from the other end, doing the other half on a second day.
Nothing says that you must walk. Many people bike these trails and, judging by the hoofprints, some ride horses.
Hikes along the Genesee Riverway & Genesee Valley Greenway Trails:
Seneca Park – Genesee Riverway Trail – Trout Lake to O’Rorke Bridge – 3.3 miles one way
York Landing – Fowlerville – Genesee Valley Greenway Trail – 2.7 miles one-way
Avon area – Genesee Valley Greenway Trail – Route 20 to Lehigh Valley Trail – 6.4 miles one-way
Hikes along the Lehigh Valley Trail
Lehigh Valley Trail Chamberlain Road to Quaker Meeting House Road, Mendon – 1.7 miles one-way
Hikes in Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park East Side – 6.0 miles round trip
Lakes & Preserves
Canadice Lake – West Lake Trail – 4.0 miles one-way
Hemlock Lake – Old East Lake Road – 3.6 miles round trip
Indian Fort Nature Preserve – Geneseo area – 2.2 miles of trails
Hiking along the Genesee: York Landing – Fowlerville – Genesee Valley Greenway Trail – 2.7 miles
York Landing – Fowlerville – Genesee Valley Greenway Trail – 2.7 miles one-way.
Use Google Maps to find York Landing Road on the west side of the Genesee between Rt. 20 near Avon and Rt. 63 in Piffard. York Landing Road is a .2 mile long dirt road ending in a large parking area next to the river.
In the days of the Genesee Valley Canal (1840-1878) York Landing was the site of a canal port for loading grain headed to Rochester. An old photo shows a dam on the river and a large grain handling building.
At low water, parts of this infrastructure are still visible in the riverbed.
You can walk down the short path to the river; however, care should be taken as the path is steep and will be slippery after a rain. At high water levels there is a sharp drop into the water and no easy way to get out. At low water levels, there is a beach with flat rocks, making a nice place for a picnic.
Walk north up the Genesee Valley Greenway Trail through alternating forest, pasture, and farmland. This stretch of the trail has small rises and curves making a nice break from the straight line dictated by the old canal and successor railroad in other sections. At 2.7 miles you will come to Fowlerville Road where there is another large trail parking area midway between the river and the hamlet of Fowlerville.
For an additional treat, visit the Abbey of the Genesee off River Road south of York Landing Road where you can walk the grounds, join them for prayer and buy their Monks’ Bread products. Check the Abbey website for details.
