By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Bill and Marlee Diehl have been out 75 times so far this year
LAKE ONTARIO – Bill and Marlee Diehl were out on Lake Ontario for the 75th time on Sunday afternoon. This time they brought along my 7-year-old daughter and me.
I know the Diehls through the Albion Rotary Club. They are hard-working members of the club, taking on all kinds of thankless tasks.
It was nice to have a little getaway yesterday, and see the Point Breeze sites, including people fishing from the piers, from the vantage point of a boat.
Last year the Diehls got out 110 times. The weather was better for sailing in 2012. There were fewer choppy days. Yesterday was a choppy day. I was feeling a little seasick while my daughter calmly sat and munched on some snacks.
The Diehls are looking forward to having the harbor dredged. That is scheduled for next year. The Oak Orchard hasn’t been dredged in a decade, and some spots in the channel and near the break wall have filled with sand, causing some boats to get stuck. That happened to the Diehls before.
The couple lives on Archbald Road. They like the close-knit Point Breeze community. They greeted many of the other boaters while they passed each other on the river.
The Diehls only have about a week of sailing left before they put the boat away for the winter.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – It’s a foggy evening in Orleans County. This hay bale by Route 279 is visible close to the road, but the bales in the back start to fade from all the fog.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Riyan Westbrook, 23, of Medina holds a Chinook salmon he hooked and reeled in tonight near the Waterport Dam. His friend, Adrian Jackson of Medina, netted the fish. The two landed three good-size fish. See above.
Chris Vogt of Albion wades into the Oak Orchard River and fishes not too far from the Archer’s Club. Vogt had a spot by himself. He said a morning rain may have scared off some of the crowd. Vogt also is a charter boat captain, running a boat he calls U Betcha. He caught a Chinook earlier in the day.
They’re hard to see through the fog, but there are about a dozen fishermen standing in the Oak Orchard River across from the Archer’s Club.
Greg Crawford of the town of Alabama and his 11-year-old son Trevor bait their lines while fishing in the Oak Orchard River late this afternoon. They caught a couple Chinooks today.
Tom Harper of Point Breeze fishes near the Waterport Dam this evening. Harper had just arrived. His son Anthony caught a big brown trout earlier in the day. You can see the waterfall in back by the dam.
The Waterport Dam is a fishing hotspot this time of the year, when salmon and trout make their annual fall runs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2013 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Tom Roster, manager of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, stands outside the new visitor center and administration building on Casey Road in Basom in this file photo from April. The refuge closed today because of the government shutdown.
BASOM – Want to go see the birds or go for a nature walk at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge? Too bad. The refuge is closed as part of the impasse in Congress over a new budget.
Farmers and landowners also can’t access the staff at the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which both have offices in Albion.
A new federal fiscal year started at midnight without a budget in place. Many federal employees have been furloughed.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is very much aware that any lapse in appropriations imposes hardships on those we serve,” the government agency stated. “Due to this event, the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will be closed to the public.”
Refuge staff will respond to emergencies regarding human life or property, but public access to the 10,808-acre refuge is prohibited and fish and wildlife management activities and public programs will be cancelled during the government shutdown. This includes all recreational activities like hunting, fishing, bird watching and hiking. The refuge is in the towns of Shelby and Alabama.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Samuel Williams, a Cub Scout, and Daniel Grabowski, a Boy Scout, bait their hooks this evening while venturing out on a dock, trying to get closer to the fish.
ALBION – Scouts in Albion kicked off a new year this evening by going fishing in an old quarry on Keitel Road. The Albion Sportsmen’s Association owns the old sandstone site.
Sawyer Braley, 9, caught this fish near a quarry wall. His father Jeff, a Scout leader, helped get the hook out. Jeff was an Eagle Scout when he went through the Scouting program.
Jeff Baron, the father of a Tiger Cub, took a turn fishing. About 50 Scouters and their family members baited hooks with worms, corn and lures. It was a serene fall day with the leaves starting to change.
Jonathan Judd, 9, gets his hook ready. Jonathan was popular among the Scouts this evening. He brought along some extra worms.
Zack Baron, 6, attended his first Scouting meeting tonight and was happy to try his luck fishing. Zack is a Tiger Cub for first-year Scouts.
Press release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
BASOM – Beginning October 1, trapping permits will be issued for the Oak Orchard, Tonawanda, and John White Wildlife Management Areas for the 2013-2014 license year.
Permit applications can be obtained weekdays from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, by appearing in person at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Office on Casey Road between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by writing to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Bureau of Wildlife, 1101 Casey Road, Box B, Basom, NY 14013.
Trappers who obtain a permit will be required to report their harvest and trapping efforts on each area. The Western New York trapping season for fox, raccoon, coyote and other upland furbearing animals opens Oct. 25, 2013, and closes Feb. 15, 2014, with the exception of the John White WMA, which will run from Nov. 1, 2013 to Feb. 15, 2014.
This year, the beaver season in this area of New York (including on Tonawanda, Oak Orchard and John White WMAs) will run from Nov. 25, 2013 until Feb. 15, 2014.
The Western New York trapping season for mink and muskrat opens on Nov. 25, 2013 and closes on Feb. 15, 2014. However, the 2013-2014 muskrat and mink seasons at the three WMAs start later than the Western New York trapping season and will run from Dec. 7, 2013 to Feb. 15, 2014.
In addition, a 25-trap limit will be in place for muskrat and mink on the three WMAs (traps set for upland trapping and beaver will not require numbered tags and will not be considered in the trap limit). The trap limit provides a more equitable distribution of the harvest and prevents trappers from monopolizing the better trapping areas.
The maximum number of traps a single trapper can set for muskrat and mink on the three areas is 25. To accomplish this, the DEC issues 25 numbered tags to each trapper who obtains a permit. A tag must be attached to each trap used on the areas. Any trap that does not have one of these tags attached is considered an illegal trap. Also, an individual trapper can only operate traps that contain tags with their assigned numbers.
Management of the muskrat population promotes prime emergent marsh habitats used by waterfowl and uncommon marsh birds such as the black tern and least bittern. The trap limit allows Bureau of Wildlife personnel to better regulate the muskrat harvest according to water availability, habitat needs and population.
Hunters and trappers are reminded that no gas or electric motor boats are allowed on Oak Orchard or Tonawanda WMAs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Congressman Chris Collins met with Orleans and Nigara County officials Wednesday in Wilson to discuss the need to have several local harbors dredged. Collins is joined by, from left: Jim Ward, representative for State Sen. George Maziarz; Assemblywoman Jane Corwin; Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey, Niagara County Legislature Chairman Bill Ross; Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson; and Niagara County Legislator Clyde Burmaster.
Press release
Congressman Chris Collins
WILSON – Following a tour of Olcott and Wilson harbors, Congressman Chris Collins (R-Clarence) joined with state and local leaders to highlight the urgent need to maintain and protect local harbors along Lake Ontario’s south shoreline.
Collins highlighted the important role these harbors play in the region’s economy and the need for continued and consistent harbor maintenance.
“These harbors play a critical role in the economy of Western New York through both the direct and spin-off benefits of seasonal recreational activities and the charter fishing industry,” Collins said on Wednesday. “Today I join my colleagues in both state and local government to call for both the continued maintenance and protection that is necessary to keep these harbors viable.”
Collins has pushed the Army Corps of Engineers to begin the long delayed dredging of the harbors. Dredging would remove the sediment build up that narrows a harbor’s channel dimension and creates unsafe navigation conditions for both commercial and recreational boating.
Orleans County officials have been pressing federal officials and the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Oak Orchard Harbor, which was last done a decade ago.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Oak Orchard Harbor needs to have sediment removed to make the channel more navigable for boaters.
“The dredging of these harbors is long overdue, and is needed in order to maintain and maximize the harbors’ economic and recreational importance,” Collins said.
The Army Corps of Engineers is supposed to dredge in Oak Orchard, Olcott and Wilson harbors in 2014.
While in Wilson on Wednesday, Collins also voiced his opposition to the International Joint Commission plan, which calls for altering water levels for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The IJC is a joint body between the U.S. and Canada that controls water levels between the two countries.
Orleans County officials have protested the IJC plan, saying it would increase erosion along shorelines, lowering property values and having a negative impact on the region’s economy by affecting recreational and commercial boating.
“We need a unified front when it comes to advocating for the needs of our lakefront communities and harbors,” said State Sen. George Maziarz (R-Newfane). “Cleaning out these waterways so more boaters can use themand advocating to the IJC on behalf of lakefront property ownersare high priorities for us as representatives.”
Olcott won the “Ultimate Fishing Town” contest last year with Point Breeze winning the title this year. That raises the profile for other communities as fishing destinations. However, the potential is limited when the harbors are not regularly dredged.
Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson attended the news conference Wednesday in Wilson with Collins. Johnson is the county’s representative on the newly created Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance.
“We need to stand united with our neighbors to the west on these two very important issues as we work for funding to dredge Oak Orchard Harbor for boating and tourism and save our property owners along the lake from further erosion from altering the lake levels,” she said.
Press release, Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District
Volunteers are needed for a thankless job on Sept. 21, pulling garbage from several streams and bodies of water in Orleans County.
Each year the Orleans County Water Quality Coordinating Committee facilitates a shoreline cleanup event, which is sponsored by the American Littoral Society.
This event is open to all volunteers and provides an excellent opportunity for students, scouts, 4-H’ers and adults to fulfill community service requirements, interact with county agencies (Soil & Water Conservation District and Health Department), and make a significant contribution to our community and environment.
Volunteers will meet Sept. 21 at Bullard Park on East Avenue in Albion at 9 a.m. After a brief introduction, they will disperse to several predetermined locations throughout the county to begin the collection.
A team captain and at least one other responsible adult is required to supervise each cleanup crew. A friendly competition is held between crews to determine who can collect the greatest amount of trash, by weight. Upon completion, they will reconvene at Bullard Park for a lunch provided by the Orleans County Department of Public Health. Participants will also receive a certificate from the American Littoral Society in recognition of their service.
This is the 13th year Orleans County will be participating in this event. In 2012 more than 1,900 pounds of trash was collected from shorelines and beaches in the county. If you wish to join the Water Quality Committee for the Shoreline Cleanup or have any questions concerning the event, contact Dennis Kirby at Soil and Water at (585) 589-5959.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2013 at 12:00 am
POINT BREEZE – The sun cast an array of colors while setting last night at Lake Ontario. Jerome Pawlak of Albion was at Point Breeze and took this photo of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse.
I’ve seen a lot of photos of the lighthouse since it was erected in 2010, and I think this is the best one. Thank you to Jerome for sharing it.
