18-inch minimum size and daily creel limit of 3 established for walleye at Waterport Reservior
File photo by Tom Rivers: These fishermen are pictured on Oct. 11, 2014 at the Waterport Dam.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced today that new fishing regulations will take effect beginning April 1, with one change in Orleans County.
The DEC has established an 18-inch minimum size limit and daily creel limit of 3 for walleye in the Waterport Reservoir.
“New York State is known for fantastic freshwater sport fishing opportunities,” said Commissioner Seggos. “These regulatory changes will help maintain these opportunities and enthusiasm for the sport.”
The modifications to the sport fishing regulations are a result of a two-year process that included biological assessment, discussions with anglers, and a formal 45-day public comment period. DEC used public input to finalize the changes. These regulations will be published in the 2017-18 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide that will be available at all license sales vendors and on-line in March.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Pete Ricci of Waterport fishes near the dam in Lyndonville in this photo from Nov. 3, 2015. Johnson Creek in Lyndonville is one of several tributaries in Orleans County that are popular with anglers.
Press Release, DEC
The public will have the opportunity to learn about the state of Lake Ontario fisheries at public meetings held in Niagara, Monroe, and Oswego counties in March, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced.
“Lake Ontario and its tributaries continue to provide world-class fishing opportunities for the hundreds of thousands of anglers who enjoy it every year,” Commissioner Seggos said. “These fisheries provide unsurpassed recreational opportunity and generate substantial economic benefits to the surrounding communities. The state of Lake Ontario meetings provide an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in the lake and its tributaries to interact with the scientists and managers who study and manage these fisheries.”
Lake Ontario and its embayments and tributaries support thriving populations of fish, including a variety of trout and salmon, bass, walleye, yellow perch, and panfish. New York’s Lake Ontario waters comprise more than 2.7 million acres. A recent statewide angler survey estimated that more than 2.6 million angler days were spent on Lake Ontario and its major tributaries. The estimated value of these fisheries exceeded $112 million annually for local economies.
The meeting dates and locations are as follows:
• Tuesday, March 7: 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 4487 Lake Ave., Lockport, Niagara County. The meeting is co-hosted by Niagara County Cooperative Extension and the Niagara County Sportfishery Development Board.
• Thursday, March 9: 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus (Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science building (76-1125) – Carlson Auditorium), Rochester, Monroe County. The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board.
• Monday, March 13: 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Pulaski High School auditorium, 4624 Salina St., Pulaski, Oswego County. The meeting is co-hosted by the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association. In the event of heavy lake-effect snow, the meeting will be held at the same time and location on March 14.
Staff from DEC, the United States Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will share presentations, including updates on the status of trout and salmon fisheries in the lake and its tributaries, forage fish, and stocking programs. The meetings will provide ample time at the end of the scheduled program for the audience to interact with the presenters.
Information about DEC’s Lake Ontario fisheries assessment programs can be found on DEC’s website. For additional information contact Steven LaPan, New York Great Lakes Fisheries Section Head at the Cape Vincent Fisheries Research Station, (315) 654-2147.
A canal boat named Canandaigua takes a leisurely trip on the Erie Canal in this photo from Sept. 23, 2015. The photo was taken from the Presbyterian Road canal bridge in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2017 at 1:06 pm
This is a big year for the Erie Canal, the historic waterway that transformed New York and the United States. 2017 starts the beginning of an eight-year bicentennial of the canal’s construction, which began in 1817 and finished in 1825.
The Erie is often referred to as a lowly “ditch.” But the canal was an incredible feat in its day, opening up commerce, turning New York into the Empire State and allowing for a western migration in the 1800s that led to fervent social and religious movements – abolition, temperance, women’s suffrage and more. Many leaders of those movements, such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, lived in canal communities.
Construction on the 363-mile manmade waterway started in 1817 in Rome. It took eight years to take down trees, remove stumps and clear a path across upstate, linking Buffalo to Albany.
The canal is still operational, a “working museum” with lift bridges, guard gates, waste weirs, and many tugboats, barges and pleasure boats.
The lift bridge in Holley goes up to make room for a modern boat. The historic Urger, a tugboat from 1901, is pictured in back.
The canal also is increasingly popular for cyclists, joggers, and kayakers.
With this year the start of the bicentennial, it’s a good time to pay notice to the canal towns in Orleans.
Medina, Albion and Holley were busy spots along the canal and the wealth from the Erie’s heyday is still prominently on display in these villages.
Take a look at the towering churches, ornate government buildings, the stately mansions – even the beautiful historic cemeteries. They have artistry – in the architectural design, stained-glass windows (including 43 Tiffany windows in Albion), and the fine craftsmanship with the woodwork and stone carvings. (Before he become a multi-millionaire by building luxurious sleeping cars for railroads, George Pullman lived in Albion, making furniture and moving houses when the canal was widened.)
The canal brought wealth into the community, and the residents didn’t build cheap. They spared no expense leaving landmarks that remain community treasures today.
This house in Albion, now a funeral home, was once home of Sanford Church, a leading political figure in the state from 1850 to 1880.
Some of the canal towns around the state have lost some of the flavor from the canal prosperity in the 1800s. Mansions were leveled for chain stores, and other historic structures were lost “progress.”
In Orleans, the canal villages have persevered, keeping their historic downtown business districts, maintaining their houses of worship and staying diligent caretakers of the community’s most revered residences.
The canal was expanded from 1905 to 1918 to make more room for bigger boats. That “Barge Canal” from a century ago was recently declared a National Historic Landmark.
Only 16 lift bridges remain from the canal’s widening. Orleans County is home to seven of those bridges. When a boat passes underneath, the bells go off to warn traffic the bridge is going up.
It’s a throwback to a different era, and it’s very much a part of the county’s identity, a beloved institution.
If you’re visiting Orleans, be sure to stop and see one of the marvels of the canal – a bridge that moves up to accommodate a boat. How’s that for small-town hospitality.
(Editor’s Note: This was written with about 500 words as the introduction to the Lake Country Pennysaver’s annual Visitor’s Guide. Orleans Hub readers are welcome to take a 500-word challenge to promote Orleans County. Send the short essays to news@orleanshub.com.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 January 2017 at 10:07 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Canal Basin in Medina is pictured in this photo from Oct. 28.
MEDINA – An Orleans County legislator wants the canal villages and towns to work together on a plan to better optimize the historic waterway.
Ken DeRoller met with Medina Village Board this week to discuss working on a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program for the canal communities.
Medina officials were open to teaming with the other towns and villages for a canal corridor plan in the county.
The county is currently working on a plan for about 25 miles of the Lake Ontario shoreline towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates. The state approved a $40,000 grant to help with that effort.
DeRoller would like to see the canal villages and towns also pursue a plan that would bolster activities and attractions on the canal, whether for boating, biking, kayaking, people having picnics or doing other recreational activities.
The plan could also look at residential and commercial opportunities.
The county has added a planning professional who could assist with the project. DeRoller said he would like to hear from the other canal community leaders.
“This is just planting a seed,” he said after meeting with the Medina officials. “I would like to see a coordinated effort.”
For more on Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs, click here.
File photo by Tom Rivers: The tower of the Main Street lift bridge in Albion is pictured in this photo from March 2014. The lift bridge was built as part of the canal’s transitioning to the barge canal about a century ago.
Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that after her year-long push, the New York State Barge Canal has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior.
“The New York State Barge Canal has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of not only New York State but the entire country. It facilitated and shaped the course of settlement in the Northeast, Midwest and Great Plains, and established New York City as the nation’s premiere seaport and commercial center,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I was proud to fight for this designation because the canal is a symbolic reminder of New York’s excellence from the 1800s to this present day, honoring generations of our history and industry. Today, the New York State Barge Canal gets the recognition it truly deserves as it officially becomes a National Historic Landmark.”
In April, Senator Gillibrand first called on the National Park Service to designate of the NYS Canal as a National Historic Landmark. After the National Historic Landmarks Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board moved to approve the designation in November, Gillibrand renewed her pushed and urged the U.S. Department of the Interior to deliver the final approval needed to officially designate the NYS Canal as a National Historic Landmark.
The Beals Road bridge in Ridgeway is pictured during the winter. The bridge was built during the barge canal expansion.
Gillibrand was also instrumental in the New York Barge Canal being added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2014, expanding opportunities for federal historic tax credits and other resources to support economic development initiatives near the Barge Canal, as well as positioning the Canal for designation as a National Historic Landmark.
The New York State’s Barge Canal system will celebrate its 192nd year of continuous operation next year. Also, the New York State Barge Canal will celebrate its Centennial in 2018.
The NYS Barge Canal extends through Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo and includes the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal, stretching 525 miles across New York State.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 December 2016 at 7:45 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Neil Newton, a member of the Orleans County Sportsmen Federation and NYS Conservation Council, favors allowing rifles for hunting deer and bears.
ALBION – Orleans County legislators are being asked by sportsmen to allow rifles for big game hunting – deer and bears.
County legislators were told by Sportsmen Club leaders on Wednesday that 41 out of 62 counties, including counties with more residents than Orleans, allow rifles for hunting.
Mike Elam, treasurer of the Orleans County Sportsmen Federation, presented the Legislature with a petition signed by about 500 people, supporting center-fire rifles for deer hunting.
“As the times change so does technology,” said Jeff Atwell, president of the Barre Sportsmen Club.
He believes rifles are safer than shotguns, because hunters with rifles tend to use only one bullet. With shotguns, Atwell said hunters will often take multiple shots and slugs can “bounce.”
Terry Williams of Carlton, a hunting instructor for 40 years, also favors rifles for hunting. “You’re not overshooting,” he told county legislators.
Sportsmen leaders said studies have shown that rifles are safe for hunting deer and bears.
“The facts clearly support the passage of this proposal and the history of safety across New York with counties with far greater populations than Orleans County fully support it,” according to written comments from Michael Van Durme, a retired chief conservation officer for Region 8 of the DEC.
Van Durme’s career as a conservation officer included seven years in Orleans. He now manages a consulting company that specializes in hunter and firearms safety. He testified in favor of rifles for deer hunting when Genesee, Livingston and Ontario counties discussed the issue – those counties ultimately voted in favor of it.
He said hunting is much safer now than in the 1960s, when there were 19 incidents per 100,000 hunters. Now it’s 4.3 incidents per 100,000, he said.
Rifles are currently used in Orleans County to hunt smaller animals, with no injuries to hunters or the public, Van Durme said.
“Center-fire rifles are used almost all year long in Orleans County to hunt woodchucks, foxes, crows and coyotes, and there has never been a case of a bullet traveling miles from their target and hurting anyone,” Van Durme said in his written comments.
Paul Kroth, conservation officer, says he will enforce whatever laws are on the books. Ultimately, he said hunters are responsible for their shots.
Paul Kroth, a conservation officer in Orleans County, said whether or not rifles are allowed for deer hunting in Orleans, hunters still need to practice basic safety standards, such as identifying their target and knowing what is beyond it.
Some spots in Orleans aren’t appropriate for rifles, Kroth said, because roads and houses are too close by.
“Hunters, they’re still responsible for where their round goes,” Kroth said at a packed Legislature meeting. “There are a lot of smaller blocks where a rifle would not be appropriate.”
Hunters who use poor judgement and injure or even kill someone can face charges from reckless endangerment to manslaughter, Kroth said.
“We are going to enforce the law no matter which way you decide,” Kroth told the seven-member County Legislature.
David Callard, the Legislature chairman, said the group will continue to discuss the issue. He said the county doesn’t have the final say.
If the Legislature supports rifles for deer and bear hunting, Callard said local state legislators would then take the issue to Albany for a vote from the State Legislature.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2016 at 2:58 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bobby Dysard, 12, of Albion leaps on a snowboard at Bullard Park this afternoon after the temperatures rose to the mid-30s and the wind died down.
Several kids were sledding at the park this afternoon.
Cole Moyle, 9, of Albion heads down the hill at Bullard.
Bryar Dysard, 9, joins his brother in enjoying some snow fun.
Justin Kania, 8, of Albion heads back up the sledding hill.
Anita Weese of Medina was at Mount Albion Cemetery with her English Labrador retrievers Zoe, left, and Hannah. Weese said it was a good afternoon for a walk at the historic cemetery.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 December 2016 at 10:08 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
It’s white-out conditions at times driving in Orleans County today, with snow and wind making it difficult to see. This picture shows Main Street in Albion looking north towards the lift bridge on the Erie Canal at about 8:45 a.m.
Three school districts – Albion, Holley and Medina – cancelled school today and two others – Lyndonville and Kendall – are on two-hour delays.
A wreath on the door of the First Presbyterian Church has been blasted with snow.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Orleans, Niagara and Monroe counties until 5 a.m. on Friday. About 3-5 inches of snow is expected today with another 2 to 4 inches overnight. The snow, combined with 25 to 35 mile per hour winds and gusts up to 50 mph, will produce significant blowing and drifting snow.
“Strong winds and blowing snow will produce very difficult travel conditions at times with greatly reduced visibility and snow-covered roads,” the Weather Service said. “Wind chills dropping below zero will increase the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.”
An Albion Department of Public Works plow truck pushes snow off Main Street this morning.
A man with a snowblower crosses Main Street near the Holy Family Parish.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2016 at 7:39 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MURRAY – Arden, a male ox, was at Jim Ritchie’s Christmas tree farm at the corner of Route 104 and Norway Road today.
Arden, an Irish dexter ox, will be back at the farm on Sunday hauling Christmas trees.
The ox is owned by Dawn Meier, right, of Tuthill Road in Albion. Meier and her daughter Amie Kenneally are pictured with Arden this afternoon.
Meier wanted the public to see the ox. She said oxen were critical for pioneers, clearing land about 200 years ago. They also provided much-needed power for settling the state and creating the 363-mile-long Erie Canal, which opened in 1825.
File photo by Tom Rivers: The lighthouse at Golden Hill State Park in Barker is pictured in this photo when the sun was setting in early August.
A plan for regulating water levels at Lake Ontario is going forward despite outcries from many elected officials along the south shore of the lake, who fear water levels will have bigger swings, leading to erosion and threatening tourism industries.
Commissioners of the International Joint Commission today signed an updated order of approval regulating water levels and flows in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
The updated order makes it possible for the IJC to approve Plan 2014, a new regulation plan for determining the flows through the Moses-Saunders Dam located on the St. Lawrence River between Cornwall, Ontario and Massena, NY. The updated order and plan replace a system of regulating flows developed in the 1950s.
“Plan 2014 is a modern plan for managing water levels and flows that will restore the health and diversity of coastal wetlands, perform better under changing climate conditions and continue to protect against extreme high and low water levels,” US Section Chair Lana Pollack said in a news release.
‘As long as I am a Member of Congress, I will fight to block any and all funding paths this plan needs to be implemented.’ – Congressman Chris Collins
Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, is among the many elected officials who have been opposing the plan.
“As long as I am a Member of Congress, I will fight to block any and all funding paths this plan needs to be implemented,” Collins said in a statement today. “Additionally, the incoming Republican Administration will know from Day One how important it is to eliminate Plan 2014 once and for all.”
Collins vowed to “do everything in my power to protect the taxpayers, homeowners and small businesses along the Lake Ontario shoreline that are set to be devastated by this bureaucratic disaster.”
Plan 2014 will continue to protect shoreline property and will retain, essentially unchanged, the environmental conditions and coastal protections on the lower St. Lawrence River, below the Moses-Saunders Dam, the IJC stated today.
The plan will improve ecosystem health and diversity on Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River and provide net economic benefits, according to the IJC.
The plan will foster conditions needed to restore 64,000 acres of coastal wetlands and improve habitat for fish and wildlife. The plan will also frequently extend the recreational boating season, better maintain system-wide levels for navigation and increase hydropower production, the IJC said.
Plan 2014 is the result of more than 16 years of scientific study, public engagement and governmental review.
During the five-year Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study (2000-2006), technical experts and stakeholders together built evaluation models and tested hundreds of alternatives, with public participation throughout the process. The IJC continued to optimize alternatives developed during the study and held public meetings in 2012 and public hearings in 2013 before proposing Plan 2014 to the two federal governments.
“We are pleased that Plan 2014 will bring system-wide improvements, with consideration of ecosystem health and recreational boating along with shoreline communities, commercial navigation and hydropower production,” said Canadian Section Chair Gordon Walker.
The IJC plans to implement the plan starting in January 2017.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2016 at 7:29 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans County was blanketed in fog this afternoon. This photo is looking north on Transit Road in Albion near the intersection with Route 31.
A tractor is pictured in a field along Fetcher Chapel Road in Shelby.
Some trees stand out in the fog along Route 63 in Shelby by the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
This row of trees is shown on the refuge in Shelby.
Some livestock were also out on Fletcher Chapel Road in Shelby.
The East Shelby Community Bible Church is still a landmark in the fog on East Shelby Road in Shelby.
This barn is located along West Countyhouse Road in Albion near the Shelby border.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2016 at 3:09 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Tugboats and tenders are lined up on the Erie Canal in Albion today, the second to last day of the 192nd navigational season on the historic waterway.
The canal closes for the season at 5 p.m. on Sunday. All recreational vessels must exit the canal system before 5 p.m. on Sunday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2016 at 10:34 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
POINT BREEZE – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse is pictured at about 9 tonight with the supermoon shining bright. This is the bright and largest the the moon has appeared since 1948, according to NASA.
There won’t be another supermoon like this until 2034, NASA said.
The former Barbary Coast restaurant, now the home of Gene Haines, is pictured at Point Breeze tonight. Haines hosted a meeting for the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association about the the Lake Ontario State Parkway. About 100 people attended the meeting.
The top of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Albion is pictured with the supermoon.
The church is visible in the dark with the bright moon in the sky.
This is the top of the steeple on the First Baptist Church in Albion.
The moon shines bright through these branches in an Albion backyard.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2016 at 6:04 pm
ALBION – These photos were taken near the same spot on the Erie Canal Towpath in Albion between the Ingersoll Street and Brown Street bridges. It’s just west of where Sandy Creek runs under the Erie Canal. (I don’t think they at the same exact location, but pretty close.)
The top photo was taken today at about 1 p.m. and shows trees with few leaves. The bottom picture shows a striking change over eight days. The lower photo was taken on Nov. 6, when the trees were full of vibrant colors.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2016 at 3:11 pm
ALBION – Parts of Mount Albion Cemetery look like a blanket of orange, red and yellow leaves.
The cemetery’s workers have been making long piles of leaves and then sucking them up with a vacuum truck. Kenny Blank, one of the cemetery’s workers, was clearing leaves on the east side of the cemetery this afternoon.
Blank and the cemetery workers are busy trying to clear the historic cemetery, home to many tall mature trees, from numerous leaves.
Many leaves are yet to fall at Mount Albion.
The tower at Mount Albion, a memorial that was built in 1876 to the nearly 500 Orleans County soldiers killed during the Civil War, is more visible now that the trees are shedding leaves.
Mount Albion is even more stunning in the fall, with the blast of colors from the fall foliage.
