Photos by Tom Rivers – An inspection crew from the state Canal Corporation passes under the Hulberton lift bridge this morning and heads east to check the bridge in Holley. The lift bridges, despite being 100 years old, are working well, Canal officials said.

HULBERTON – Parts of the canal system have been battered by floods and the wrath of Mother Nature in recent years. With each storm, the canal has endured, with occasional short-term closures of some sections. This year storms hit the eastern end of the canal and Lockport particularly hard.

“When the storms come through, we’ve been able to turn around and reopen quickly,” said John Joyce, director of special projects for the Canal Corp. “It shows that the canal is in good shape and we have a dedicated crew.”

Joyce and a team of inspectors passed through the canal in Orleans County the past two days, stopping to inspect seven lift bridges in the county and assess the embankments and other infrastructure. They travelled by boat on the Tug Syracuse.

“We don’t find major problems because they are being maintained on a daily basis,” he said today in Hulberton after inspectors completed an assessment of the lift bridge.

Joyce and the inspectors had high praise for the mechanical and electrical systems on the century old lift bridges. One of them in Knowlesville has a weight restriction and is limited to one-lane. The bridges are owned by the state Department of Transportation, but the Canal Corp. operates them and handles a lot of the electrical work and maintenance.

The canal is like a “living museum,” and remains an important source of pride and economic development for the canal communities, Joyce said.

He believes the communities with lift bridges are particularly fortunate to have the iconic structures. There are only 16 of them. They’re between Lockport and Fairport. Orleans has the most of any county.

“For 100-year-old technology they are working great,” Joyce said.

State law requires an annual inspection of the canal each year. For many years the assessment was made by car. But the past three years under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Canal Corp. has traveled the entire 363 miles by boat.

The canal has been in the news for much of the past year, depictied as a drain to the Thruway Authority and a reason to raise tolls.

The Thruway Authority proposed 45 percent toll hikes, but backed off the toll increase. The Canal Corp. however cut 5 percent of its workforce this year.

The canal has been under the Thruway Authority’s budget since 1992. Joyce said the Thruway Authority has proven a good steward of the canal system.

“We have a good working relationship with the Thruway Authority and we want that to continue,” he said.

The Tug Syracuse heads to Holley after an inspection in Hulberton.

State is doing annual mandated check of canal system

Photo courtesy of Canal Corporation – The Tug Syracuse is docked in Buffalo’s Erie Canal Harbor this morning awaiting the start of the annual Canal Inspection Tour. Canal official will be in Orleans County later this week.

Press release, NYS Canal Corporation

The annual inspection of the New York State canal system began today in Buffalo when the Tug Syracuse departed from the Erie Canal Harbor to assess the historic waterway, the New York State Canal Corporation announced.

Canal Corporation officials will inspect the seven lift bridges in Orleans County on Wednesday and Thursday, starting with Medina’s bridge at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday and then working east to check more lift bridges in the county. The maintenance inspections in Orleans are scheduled to end in Holley at 10:50 a.m. Thursday, when crews will depart to Brockport.

The legally mandated inspection will take place over the next two months in two- and three-day segments. It is one of the most critical tools the Canal Corporation has to make a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the overall condition and capital needs of the nearly 200-year-old canal system, which generates $380 million in tourism-based economic activity and provides drinking water for thousands New Yorkers of as well as water resources for agriculture, industry and hydroelectric power generation.

“For nearly two centuries, the canal system has remained vital to the prosperity of the Empire State, both commercially and recreationally,” said New York State Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation Chairman Howard P. Milstein. “This inspection is an important opportunity to gauge the overall condition of the canals first-hand, but also to recognize the excellence of our staff for their maintenance of this national treasure. It is this commitment that has allowed this modern marvel to continue to flourish over the years.”

The inspection team grades individual components at locks and lift bridge locations statewide and will then give awards for top performance later this year.

The inspection tour is a tradition that dates from October 26, 1825, when Gov. DeWitt Clinton departed from Buffalo aboard the Seneca Chief to mark the opening of the Erie Canal after eight years of construction.

The effect of the canal was both immediate and dramatic, and settlers poured west. Trade exploded with freight rates from Buffalo to New York at $10 per ton by canal, compared with $100 per ton by road. Within nine years, canal tolls more than recouped the entire cost of construction and New York City was the busiest port in America.

“We are excited to embark on the 2013 Canal Inspection, a time-honored tradition that is central to our maintenance, rehabilitation, and strategic planning efforts,” said Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton. “With the canals playing such an important role in the livelihood of the communities that line its shores, it is essential that we ensure the facilities and equipment of the Canal Corporation are in good working order and acknowledge our dedicated staff for their tireless efforts year-round.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Here is another photo from last night’s sunset photographic excursion by the Erie Canal in Albion.

Orleans Hub posted several photos of the canal last night. This one shows the staircase for the lift bridge. I’ve been told the bridge used to be an upright position back when it was built a century ago. The bridge was lowered for the occasional horse and buggy.

A hundred years ago there were a lot of boats passing through Albion. Now there are a lot of cars, but only an occasional boater so the bridge stays down most of the time.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – It was another colorful and calming sunset tonight in Orleans County, especially along the Erie Canal. I stopped by the canal and grabbed a few photos of the Main Street lift bridge.

There are only 16 lift bridges on the canal with seven in Orleans County, including two in Albion. All of those lift bridges are between Lockport and Fairport. They are unique to the western end of the Erie Canal. I think they are an underutilized novelty that would draw people here.

(Perhaps the Canal Corporation could activate the lift bridges at the top of the hour on certain days so tourists would be guaranteed a chance to see the bridges “in action.”)

I wandered just west of the lift bridge this evening and took a photo of a boat – “No Regrets, Albion NY” – tied up on the south side of the canal. The barn on the north side of the canal includes a mural painted by Arthur Barnes.

A Holley resident is now leading the Orleans County Fishing Derby. Foster Miller caught a 34-pound, 13-ounce Chinook salmon. That fish knocked a 31-pound, 11-ounce Chinook off the top of the leaderboard.

The derby runs until Aug. 18 and includes $8,800 in prizes, including $4,000 to the angler who catches the biggest fish.

The other top fish in four categories include: Chinook, 31 pounds and 11 ounces by Julie Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa.; Rainbow trout, 13 pounds and 10 ounces by Dean Kapoika of Greenburg, Pa; and Brown trout, 15 pounds and 8 ounces by George Barkdorl of McConnelisburg, Pa. There are no names yet on the leaderboard for lake trout.

The Albion Rotary Club sponsors the derby. Anglers compete for the biggest fish caught at Lake Ontario and its tributaries from the Niagara River to the Genesee River.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse in Barker, located just west of the Orleans County line, was built in 1875 from limestone. The state acquired it in 1962 and turned it into the Golden Hill State Park.

Photo by Tom Rivers

BARKER – It’s just across the Orleans County line and I think the lighthouse in Barker may be the best one on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

I haven’t scouted out all of these structures but from the pictures I’ve seen some of these sites have fallen into disrepair. Some of them have standalone towers that lack the shock and awe of when the lighthouse and tower are blended into one big structure. That’s the case in Barker with a 70-foot-high lighthouse constructed in 1875.

I wish the powers-that-be had picked Medina sandstone for the lighthouse. But the limestone has proven durable and a good choice.

You may wonder if any of the lighthouses are made of Medina sandstone. I believe there is only one and it’s close by at Charlotte in Rochester. I will have a feature on that site in an upcoming installment in the Sandstone Heritage series.

The Barker lighthouse has been well-maintained by the state. It wasn’t open for a tour when I stopped by this evening. The grounds are well kept. I’m glad the state acquired the site in 1962 and didn’t let this place fall apart. Building a state park as part of the site was also a wise move.

The lighthouse is called Thirty Mile Point because it’s 30 miles east of the mouth of the Niagara River. I would encourage you to stop by and take a look.

For more information, click here to be directed to the state site about Golden Hill State Park.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Lake Ontario was rough on Sunday, but several people have hooked good-size fish at the beginning of the Orleans County Fishing Derby. This photo was taken at the shores of the Golden Hill State Park in Barker, about a mile west of the Orleans County line.

Julie Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa. leads the Orleans County Fishing Derby with a 31-pound, 11-ounce Chinook. The derby started Saturday and runs until Aug. 18.

The Albion Rotary Club sponsors the derby and will hand out $8,800 in prizes, including $4,000 to the angler who catches the biggest fish at Lake Ontario and its tributaries from the Niagara River to the Genesee River.

Other leading fish include a 12-pound, 11-ounce rainbow trout, and a 12-pound, 13-ounce brown trout. No lake trout is on the leaderboard yet.

Last year’s derby had an unusual winner: a lake trout that weighed 34 pounds, 6 ounces. A Chinook almost always claims the top prize.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Gene Ott walks his dog, Delia, last night at the Golden Hill State Park in Barker, just west of the Orleans County line. Ott lives in Rising Sun, Indiana. He is on his way to see a friend in New Hampshire. The two served in Vietnam together. Ott said his friend is having health problems.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Tim O’Hearn of Albion flies a kite this evening at Lighthouse Christian Camp in Barker, about a mile west of the Orleans County line.

O’Hearn’s family has a cottage at the camp. O’Hearn, 21, is a Rochester Institute of Technology student who will soon leave for a semester in Uganda.

Pest confirmed in 15 counties, including Orleans neighbors

Photo courtesy of Cornell University – The Ash Borer has been detected in nearby Monroe and Genesee counties.

Press release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee, today urged additional funding to help research, control and eradicate the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect threatening the 900 million ash trees in New York and throughout the country. There are no known methods to control the Emerald Ash Borer.

“New York State is home to some of the world’s most beautiful forests that today are at a major risk,” Sen. Gillibrand said. “Unless we take action, this harmful insect will continue to spread and eat away at trees and forests. We need to make the right investment and bring this harmful insect to a halt before it’s too late.”

The infestation of the Emerald Ash Boer, native to China, was first reported in New York State in 2009 when it was found in Randolph, Cattaraugus County. It has since been found in 14 other counties, including Ulster, Greene, Livingston, Monroe, Steuben, Genesee, Erie, Orange, Albany, Niagara, Dutchess and Tioga, and has now spread to Delaware and Otsego counties.

New York’s forests are also a strong economic driver. The state’s forest industry employs more than 60,000 workers and generates approximately $4.6 billion to the state’s economy, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The insect is suspected of first entering the U.S. near Detroit, Michigan, in 2002, where it led to the killing of millions of ash trees in the Midwest, then making its way to 19 states. The beetle has the potential to destroy upwards of 7 percent of the state’s forests and 7.5 percent of trees across the United States.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Sen. Gillibrand advocated for the proper resources to control the invasive species and protect New York’s forests.

About two months ago my 7-year-old daughter planted sunflower seeds in a small patch of dirt by our house in the village of Albion. I was dubious the plants would grow. I figured they would need more space.

The sunflowers have flourished, towering 7 or 8 feet high. This morning they are in bloom.

A few feet away in the front stands a Rose of Sharon that is also is full glory.

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – An Albion family visited Point Breeze today and couldn’t pass up the chance to skip rocks in Lake Ontario. Sophia Dash, 2, and her cousin Amelia Sanchez, 9, took turns tossing rocks in the water.

Amelia’s brother, Carlitos Sanchez, 12, was good at getting the rocks to jump in the water – to the delight of his sister and little cousin.

Photo by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The Holley Canal Park was peaceful this evening, perfect for a stroll. The park is located off East Avenue. It includes docks, a gazebo, picnic tables, grills and camping spots for tents.

Trails at the park lead to a playground, fishing spots and the waterfalls.

Photographer shares shots of Mount Albion, water plant

Albion photographer Bruce Landis rented an airplane and a pilot for a day last month and took numerous landscape shots in Orleans County, right when the fruit trees were in bloom.

Landis, owner of Photos by Bruce and Associates, shared photos of the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery. The 68-foot-high tower was built in 1876 as a memorial to the 500 people from the county who died in the Civil War.

Landis also flew over Carlton by the Lake Ontario shoreline and captured this photo of the Village of Albion Water Treatment plant on Wilson Road. The bubbles in the water are at the end of the intake pipe that draws in the water for the plant.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Caledonia Fish hatchery manager Alan Mack, bottom, works with Brian Edmonds from the DEC’s Salmon River Hatchery to unload a truck full of lake trout.

The lake trout are yearlings that are about 7 inches long.

POINT BREEZE –  A decade from now, many of them will hopefully be two feet long, trophy fish that will draw angling tourists and their money to Orleans County.

For now, the 80,600 lake trout that were stocked off the Oak Orchard Harbor are about seven inches long. This morning they were hauled on a barge 2.1 miles from the harbor and released into Lake Ontario.

A sample of the lake trout are measured, and checked to see if a fin is clipped. The group includes, from left: Matt Sanderson, senior aquatic biologist for the DEC in Avon; and Mike Waterhouse, the county’s sportsfishing coordinator.

The fish were taken out where the lake is 150 feet deep. That is their preferred environment, and also avoids many of the predators, bigger fish and birds, that stalk the waters close to shore.

“If we stocked them off shore they’d have to run a 2-mile gauntlet to get through,” said Alan Mack, the Caledonia Fish Hatchery manager. “If we stocked them by the shore the chance of them getting eaten are pretty good.”

The lake trout that were released today were raised at the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery in Warren, Pa. The fish each had a fin clipped to show it was a hatchery-raised fish. A tiny tag in its snout will help the state Department of Environmental Conservation track it for survivability. The tag will note the fish was released near the Oak Orchard on May 22, 2013. It will also indicate one of three strains of lake trout: Lake Cayuga, Lake Chautauqua and Lake Champlain.

The fish are taken out 2.1 miles from shore and released into water that is 150 feet deep. That reduces the predators that are closer to shore. In this photo, the vessel carrying a truck of fish returns from the lake through the Oak Orchard Harbor.

DEC officials get ready to swap out this truck with another one, and then make the 2.1-mile trip out to the lake.

“It will help us know which ones survive more and have the highest catch-ability,” Mack said on the barge this morning.

The DEC has already stocked steelhead in Orleans County this spring, as well as a batch of pen-reared Chinook salmon. Next week more Chinook and brown trout will be stocked with cohoes put in the lake in the fall.

Fishing has a $12 million annual economic impact in Orleans County, according to county officials, with about $1 billion each year in the state, Mack said.

After a year in a fish hatchery in Warren, Pa, these lake trout are released into Lake Ontario.