Spring 2006

Five Erosion Control Projects Approved For NYPA Funding

Funding, technical support and construction assistance are being offered to local landowners as part of a multi-year shoreline stabilization program the New York Power Authority is coordinating with three North Country communities along the St. Lawrence River.

The program is a component of the Relicensing Settlement Agreement reached between NYPA and St. Lawrence County’s Local Government Task Force.

Five erosion-control projects proposed by residents in Massena, Louisville and Waddington have been approved by a community review board established last year as part of the relicensing of NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. Once engineering designs are completed and permits are obtained, work on these projects is expected to begin later this year.

The purpose of the Adjoining Landowner Stabilization Program is to alleviate erosion along power project shorelines that could pose a threat to buildings or other structures that local residents have erected on adjacent land.

Eighteen applications were submitted during the initial solicitation last summer, with more anticipated in 2006 and the coming years. NYPA will make a total of $125,000 available each year for a period of eight-to-10 years to fund projects proposed by landowners in communities closest to the St. Lawrence-FDR project.

Applications will be solicited and reviewed by the members of the Adjoining Landowner Stabilization Board, each of whom is appointed by officials from his or her respective community. For approved proposals, the Power Authority will offer assistance in designing the projects and obtaining required permits from state and federal agencies. If requested, NYPA will perform the shoreline stabilization work for approved projects.

Projects that were not approved in 2005 will be reconsidered in subsequent years. To apply for stabilization project funds or learn more about the program, visit NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR project website at: www.stl.nypa.gov.

Besides the adjoining landowner program, NYPA has committed to its own shoreline stabilization projects at 27 sites elsewhere along the St. Lawrence River. Last year, work was completed along a 3,500-foot stretch of riverfront at Whitehouse Point in Waddington; work along Big Sucker Brook, also in Waddington, is scheduled for 2006.

(Photo caption: With an average flow of 243,000 cubic feet (more than 1.8 million gallons) per second, the St. Lawrence River is one of North America’s mightiest waterways, making erosion an ongoing concern.)

‘Welcome’ Mats Are Out at New Habitat Project Sites

When it comes to protecting New York State wildlife, size does not matter. The first two Habitat Improvement Projects (HIPs) initiated at NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project have been designed for birds with dramatically different profiles.

Both the osprey, one of North America’s largest birds of prey, with a wingspan of five feet, and the common tern, weighing barely four ounces, make their homes along the St. Lawrence River. With the approval of state and federal regulators, the Power Authority has begun to establish nesting areas to encourage greater numbers among the two species.

NYPA has committed $9 million to create and maintain a total of 10 HIPs that will benefit a variety of birds, mammals, fish and plants native to the North Country as part of the St. Lawrence-FDR project relicensing.

While small in stature, the common tern has drawn big interest as a species considered “threatened” by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Nicknamed the “sea swallow” because of its buoyant, graceful flight, the common tern likes to hover over freshwater and saltwater before plunging down to catch small fish. It prefers to nest in colonies, often at ground level, making it vulnerable to human and animal interference.

The Power Authority has set an ambitious long-term goal of establishing 1,400 tern nests in the vicinity of Lake St. Lawrence; approximately 400 nests were found before the HIP program began.

Early last year, NYPA selected nine navigation structures along the St. Lawrence Seaway for enhancements that would make the sites safer and more suitable for tern nests. Working with the Power Authority are Massena-based Riveredge Associates and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.

Among the nest enhancements made in 2005 were the addition of 30 tons of gravel nesting material, removal of excess vegetation, installation of perimeter fencing and placement of small chick shelters. As a result of these measures, the number of nests increased slightly during the summer, to a total of 466. For the next two-to-three years, NYPA will maintain and monitor the nine nest sites while experimenting with additional structures, including portable rafts, which might also attract terns.

About 30 years ago, osprey were classified as “endangered” in New York. Because their numbers have increased through better environmental protections, this raptor is now considered a “species of special concern” by state conservation officials. NYPA plans to install 10 nesting platforms within its power project boundary to further encourage osprey populations in the North Country.

Last spring, NYPA installed the first three platforms, manufactured by Jefford Steel of Potsdam, at riverfront sites in Massena, Waddington and Louisville. Nesting material was added and the sites were monitored over the summer. While osprey were observed visiting the platforms on several occasions, no nests were established in 2005. The Power Authority will conduct additional monitoring this year before erecting the remaining platforms in coming years.

(Photo caption:  Two osprey are seen perched above a pole-mounted nesting platform installed by the Power Authority.)

RN Notes

NYPA Observes 75th Anniversary

NYPA is marking its 75th anniversary during 2006 with a variety of activities designed to generate awareness among employees and the public about NYPA’s history and current role in New York State’s energy picture.

A week-by-week listing of key dates in Power Authority history is being posted on NYPA’s website for internal and external audiences.

During the year, a book will be produced outlining the Power Authority’s history from its inception to the present.

There also will be a video with historic footage of the Power Authority’s development over the years.

On April 28, one day after the official anniversary, several observances keyed to employees will be held at NYPA power projects and facilities around the state, including the St. Lawrence-FDR project. Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation creating the Power Authority on April 27, 1931, for the original purpose of harnessing the waterpower resources of the St. Lawrence River.

News From Hawkins Point

School groups and bus tour participants know that NYPA’s Hawkins Point Visitors Center offers interactive displays and exhibits that make learning fun. But did you know that our facility can help make business meetings and community group gatherings fun as well?

Located on scenic Hawkins Point, with panoramic views of the river and the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project, NYPA’s admission-free visitors center was designed as a community resource that the public can use for meetings and special events. Besides its exhibit area, the building includes an auditorium that can seat about 70 people and a conference room that can hold up to 25.

Since its official opening last summer, the Hawkins Point Visitors Center has hosted a variety of activities for the public’s education, entertainment and well-being. These include blood drives, a mobile mammography unit, boater safety training and a juried art show for area high school students.

The NYPA website (www.nypa.gov) carries a listing of upcoming events at Hawkins Point. To schedule a group tour, or to learn how your group may use the visitors center facilities, call (315) 764-0226, ext. 300.

We welcome your comments. To contact us, call Community Relations, 315-764-0226, ext. 304.