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#Post#: 1389--------------------------------------------------
NY Canal Corporation changes direction on Erie Canal Embankment
Safety
DIR By: Doug K
Date: February 5, 2021, 2:34 pm
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If you haven't seen the latest NYS Canal Corporation Erie Canal
Embankment Integrity Plans, take a look at their website and see
the newly released draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement
(dGEIS).
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/Earthen_Embankment/index.html
This is been an expected final version of their "scoping
document" that outlines what issues the Canal Corporation
expects to find, and are prepared to handle, as they work to
repair the next 100 miles of unsafe, overgrown canal embankments
along their expansive NYS Canal System. You can read the entire
dGEIS document by clicking the link below:
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/Earthen_Embankment/EEIP_Final_Scope.pdf
Now some folks may be saying that this document is nothing new,
but actually it shows how the Canal Corporation will handle just
about any issue that might arise, as well as insuring they have
adequate protection from have their work stopped by
well-meaning, "pseudo-environmentalist", like Facebook's Stop
the Canal Clear-Cut Group.
Gone are all references to FEMA guidelines as well as those from
the Army Corps of Engineers. They have been replaced with New
York State based Guidelines for Dams, and Dam Safety, along with
using the Laws of the State to insure all issues with flora &
fauna are properly taken care of.
Here's the a few highlights from the new Scoping Document for
the dGEIS, part of a required State Environmental Review Process
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Of key importance... NYPA, that's the New York Power Authority
who now owns and manages the NYS Canal Corporation and the Erie
Canal, has decided to partner with their longtime help on all
things related to Dam Safety in NYS...that's the State DEC
Agency.
HTML https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4991.html
[attachimg=3]
And the Earthen Embankment Integrity Program, that new safety
program that will address unsafe tree covered embankment dams
and improve public safety in many Erie Canal centric New York
communities... it will be using the State Guidelines for Dam
Safety and Maintenance.
Here's a few sections from that new manual to outline the same
story that the Canal Corporation has stated all along, Trees on
Dams have to go.
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
You can go read the entire NYS Dam Safety Guide guide using the
link below... but be aware. It is EXTENSIVE and covers
everything that the "new" New York State Canal Corporation will
follow under their NEW owners, New York Power Authority. That's
a company that has a long history of putting safety first,
ESPECIALLY when it comes to Safety of the Public.
HTML https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/damguideman.pdf
#Post#: 1396--------------------------------------------------
Re: NY Canal Corporation changes direction on Erie Canal
Embankment Safety
DIR By: Doug K
Date: February 7, 2021, 5:24 pm
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And here's the set of NYS DEC Guidelines, Rules and Regulations
regarding Dams and Dam Safety.
HTML https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Browse/Home/NewYork/NewYorkCodesRulesandRegulations?guid=I06198200b5a111dda0a4e17826ebc834&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
And by definition, most if not all Erie Canal Embankments do
qualify as NY Registry qualified Dams according to NY State
regulations. The Erie Canal embankments qualify both in height
of the Embankment Dam and by how much water these embankments
impound.
[attachimg=1]
HTML https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I4ed75671cd1711dda432a117e6e0f345?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)
According to the math regarding water volume of a canal shaped
like a prism, there are 1 Million gallons of water impounded
behind every 120 feet of raised canal embankment length. Any
Erie Canal embankment, longer than 360' will meet the minimum
amount of impounded water to be considered a dam, which is 3
million gallons.
Just a couple FYIs:
The NYS Canal Corporation has also stated publicly that over 200
million gallons of water could escape, in any flood event along
it's waterway, in the event of a breach, anywhere the canal is
raised above the surrounding landscape, before they can shutoff
the supply with the nearest guard gates.
And the NYS Canal Corporation has also stated clearly that these
earthen Canal Embankments are in fact Medium to High Hazard
Dams, which also qualifies them so be repaired per this same NYS
Laws & Statutes on Dams & Dam Safety
[attachimg=2]
HTML https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I4ed7566ecd1711dda432a117e6e0f345?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)
#Post#: 1398--------------------------------------------------
New York Power Authority Resources Providing Erie Canal
Embankment Safety
DIR By: Doug K
Date: February 8, 2021, 6:37 pm
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The New York Power Authority, often called NYPA, is the new
owner of the Erie Canal, the NYS Canal Corporation, and the
entire NYS Canal System. They took ownership in 2017, with the
promise to Governor Cuomo that they would repair the ailing
canal, and that NO TAXPAYER MONEY would be used to operate &
maintain the canal system from that day on.
Prior Erie Canal ownership had allowed the entire canal system
to become unsafe, outdated and in desperate need of a total
safety inspection & proper maintenance throughout the NYS Canal
System.
The NY Power Authority is also a seasoned Dam Owner, having
worked since the 1930s providing New Yorkers with electrical
power, both for commercial use and residential customers. They
have a long history of working with impounded water, behind dams
of all kinds, to create that electricity. They were up for the
challenge, and had plans to "reimagine the canal" to reinvent
it, and make it New York State's Recreational Destination.
This may only be part of the reason why they took over the Canal
System in 2017. Because it is no secret that the NYS canal
Corporation has some major work to do on 125 miles of their Erie
Canal System dams... the earthen embankment type. Many folks
have said that the Canal Corporation isn't up for the task
itself. After years of not being allowed to repair their canal
system, they had lost valuable resources needed to run such an
extensive public safety program.
But what these people don't know is that NYS Canal Corporation
can easily partner with MANY engineering firms in the State, to
fix issues with unsafe embankment dams. In fact they have been
using them right along, when their annual budget for Maintenance
& Safety allowed it.
Companies like Rizzo Engineering has done inspections recently,
and Ravi Engineering worked alongside them on their initial
Embankment Restoration Project from Middleport to Brockport.
Bergmann Engineering is also partnering with NYPA and the NYS
Canal Corporation already to do Breach simulations and create
Emergency Action Plans for first responders to use in the event
the canal embankments fail, causing a flood event.
Here's a couple examples from Ravi & Bergmann, webpage links are
provided for more detail.
[attachimg=1]
HTML https://www.bergmannpc.com/project/lock-e-33-dam-breach-analysis
[attachimg=2]
HTML https://ravieng.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ErieCanalCulvert83EmergencyRepair.pdf
So feel confident that the Erie Canal Embankment Repair is in
good hands, and those hands have even more hands helping. The
naysayers who say that fixing the embankment safety issues on
the Erie Canal is "too big" a project for either the NY Power
Authority or the NY Canal Corporation are wrong.
But what else is expected from people who can't see the "bigger
picture".
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