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DIR Return to: Perinton/Fairport Canal Community Discussion
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#Post#: 1403--------------------------------------------------
Attention Perinton & Fairport Residents: Help Clear the
Unsafe Erie Canal Oxbow Lake Dam
DIR By: Doug K
Date: February 10, 2021, 10:05 am
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A flurry of environmental activity, along the Erie Canal, hit
our canalside neighborhoods & community in 2017.
The NYS Canal Corporation (NYSCC) had come into our Town saying
their earthen embankments were unsafe, had not been properly
inspected, and were in need of overdue maintenance & repair.
They had in hand an Embankment Vegetation Management Plan for
their project, which covered both removal of the overgrown
vegetation, as well as a plan for possible replanting of a
natural. privacy screening, barrier, that would be planted if
their Restoration criteria called for it.
The Canal Corporation's Dam Safety Plan was not very popular and
some in our community decided to fight against it. They managed
to slow the process down, while the owners of these unsafe
Embankment Dams did a FULL environmental review, but now the
embankment safety work has cleared all of the hurdles this group
of residents threw in front of it and it's moving on to start
clearing canal embankments in our area this year
Here we are, over three years later, and we STILL have one of
the most dangerous Erie Canal Embankments right in our backyard.
If you can't recognize this Embankment Dam it's because the
whole thing is STILL covered with trees, from Crest to Toe. The
overgrown vegetation, and a few very large crevices, make this
earthen dam ripe for a breach & flood that would cover all the
land below it for miles. This Dam is looming over the western
half of Perinton, and holds back millions & millions of gallons
of water in the Erie Canal from flooding our community. It's
holding back a sizeable lake.
So where is this danger you ask... it's the Oxbow Lake Dam on
the west side of the Erie Canal, opposite the Oxbow Park & Trail
by the old Minerva school.
Both the New York State Canal Corporation & the New York State
Department of Environmental Conversation agree that Erie Canal
Embankments should be classified as "dams", per the Laws &
Guidelines of New York State.
[attachimg=1]
And the NY State Laws on Dams says that any sizeable dam has to
be inspected and maintained properly, they have a set Hazard
Classifications that drive the activity, and set the priority,
for dam improvement & safety work to happen. The image below
shows these classifications, the Oxbow Lake Dam is a Medium to
High Hazard.
[attachimg=2]
And below are the maps & information, from both the original
Erie Canal Embankment Vegetation Maintenance Project as well as
the map for the Perinton & Fairport area, from the new Canal
Corporation EEIP program, that's the acronym for their Earthen
Embankment Integrity Program.
You can find out more about that new program by following the
link here:
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/Earthen_Embankment/index.html
[attachimg=3]
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/Earthen_Embankment/maps/Monroe/Village%20of%20Fairport/Figure%2097A_%20Site%20Location%20Map%20-%20Town%20of%20Perinton%20and%20Village%20of%20Fairport.pdf
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/vegetation/VM%20Outreach%20Deck.pdf
The Canal Corporation WILL be clearing all of these Canal
Embankments shown in the later map, and they should be, it's an
issue of Public Safety and their parent company, New York Power
Authority, is very keen on safety. While some in the community
may not like the truth about "eminent danger" of the Oxbow Lake
Dam, it is a very tall, very long earthen dam, that hasn't been
properly inspected or maintained in nearly 50+ years.
This dam did have emergency repairs made a couple years back,
remember the metal sheets they pounded in for days? It also
leaks water badly, especially by the power line crossing, and
overall the Oxbow Lake Dam has many of the signs of an earthen
dam that is failing, needing immediate repair.
We have started a petition online, to make sure that the NYS
Canal Corporation, and it's parent NYPA, work on clearing the
OXBOW LAKE DAM FIRST. It does present the biggest risk to our
community, and it has a long history of issues with failure. The
Dam Remediation process takes about 3 years to complete, and the
first step is clearing trees so that a proper inspection can be
made, major issues can be identified, and plans for dam
remediation can be created.
Please go take a look at the Petition, and sign it if so
inclined.
HTML http://www.change.org/ErieCanalDam
We, as a community, should want to insure that when the Canal
Corporation comes to fix our Earthen Embankment Dams in Perinton
& Fairport, that they work on the worst ones first. The Oxbow
Lake Dam has already been identified as one of the WORST... that
is not up for debate.
By signing our Change.org Petition you are helping to clear the
way for much needed maintenance & inspections of Erie Canal
Embankments in our area.
Thanks, stay safe, and let's work to BE SAFE.. in our own
Perinton Canal Community.
Read more about this issue on our MAIN website:
HTML https://ecna.us/canal-facts/nypa-save-the-oxbow-embankment-dam-from-slope-failure/
#Post#: 1911--------------------------------------------------
Re: Perinton, Pittsford & Fairport Residents: Oxbow Lake
Embankment Leakage Update
DIR By: Doug K
Date: December 26, 2021, 10:03 am
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ATTENTION: We have expanded our Erie Canal Maintenance Petition
to include ALL EARTHEN EMBANKMENTS in Monroe County
HTML http://www.change.org/ErieCanalDam
As a result of the new petition, we have updated the Oxbow Lake
Embankment original to include recently reported water seepage
issues, and then CLOSED this earlier petition with 108
signatures that will be added on the NEW one, when we hit our
next goal... 500.
If you live in Perinton, anywhere BELOW the Erie Canal, this is
critical to your safety, the safety of friends & family, and the
safety of your property
OLD PETITION - DO NOT USE - REFERENCE ONLY
HTML https://www.change.org/p/oxbow-lake-dam-repair/u/29998734
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