Niagara Fishing Access, Research, Promotion Receive Major Boost in Lake Ontario Settlement

Ten projects totaling $1.1 million will boost sportfishing, tourism and research in Niagara County as part of a far-reaching plan to restore the fisheries of Lake Ontario and its tributaries, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today.

The revitalization plan is being funded with money from the 2006 settlement ($12 million) of the state's natural resources damages lawsuit against Occidental Chemical Corp. dealing with pollution that devastated sportfishing in Lake Ontario and the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers. DEC, as trustee of New York's natural resources, developed the restoration plan with public input. In all, the plan will fund 42 projects along Lake Ontario from Niagara to St. Lawrence counties that will enhance fish habitat and research, promote angler outreach and improve public fishing access. Locally, the spending plan will fund upgrades for the Niagara Falls aquarium and improvements to numerous boat launch and access sites.

"These projects will reconnect New Yorkers to fishing spots - old and new - and boost their catch, while improving the health of the Lake Ontario fishery,'' said Grannis, who three decades ago came to Niagara Falls as a New York State assemblyman to help investigate the Love Canal toxic waste disaster. "It's good news for the fish. It's good news for anglers. And it's good news for the communities in the Lake Ontario region."

The $12 million resolution is one of the largest in the nation for a natural resources damages claim based on recreational fishing losses. The settlement represents the final claim in a lawsuit the state filed against Occidental's predecessor, Hooker Chemical, in 1983. It addressed damages to the fishery caused by the discharge of dangerous chemicals from the company's main plant in Niagara Falls and from other sites and facilities either owned or operated by Occidental.

DEC began soliciting ideas for the spending plan in early 2007, holding a series of public meetings across the Lake Ontario region. Approximately 150 proposals were considered and 77 were advanced to a panel that scored the ideas. Of those, 42 were selected: 25 to improve access, 14 to enhance habitat and resources and three to promote fishing in the region.

Ten projects were selected in Niagara County, many of them to improve boat launches, trails and other access points. Highlights:

Boat launches/Docks

-- Olcott Pier. Resurface blacktop and gravel trails, improve fencing, safety rails, lighting and signage. ($100,000)

-- Lewiston village boat launch. Repair temporary aluminum docks and concrete pads, upgrade bathrooms and a fishing cleaning station. ($75,000)

-- Four Mile Creek State Park fishing access. Construction of a new access site with parking lot, signage and trail system. ($75,000)

-- Fort Niagara boat launch. Repair existing launch and dock, place large stone ashore to replace existing concrete slabs, upgrade parking area and universal access. ($50,000)

-- Wilson village boat launch. Repair existing launch, replace temporary aluminum docks and concrete pads, improvement parking lot. ($30,000).

Research/Promotion

-- Niagara Falls Aquarium. Repair 10,000-gallon tank dedicated to Lake Ontario fishing, acquire more fish for display, develop interactive graphics and maps, produce sportfishing seminars and clinics. ($300,000)

-- Assistance for pen-raised Salmonid programs. A variety of materials (netting, floatation, pumps, piping, scales, signs, etc.) for improvements at the nine locations along Lake Ontario and the Niagara River that support pen-rearing programs for Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout and other types. ($20,000)

-- A telemetry study for the Lower Niagara River. This waterway is believed to be a key area for Lake Trout spawning. Tagging and tracking fish will help identify and protect critical spots along the river. ($50,000)

-- Lower Niagara River access trails in Artpark. This consists of improvements to two trails and the creation of a new trail (including placement of crushed stone, and repairs to stairs and rails), and creation of fishing platforms at appropriate sites. ($150,000)

-- Niagara River trails, Whirlpool and Devil's Hole State Parks, Schoelkopf. This includes improvements to trails, placement of crushed stone, repairs to rails and stairs, bank stabilization and placement of fishing platforms. ($150,000)

-- Fisheries Promotion Assistance. Proposed by the Niagara County Fisheries Development Board and others, this grant will be used to develop a new "I Love NY Great Lakes Fishing" brochure to be distributed at sportfishing tournaments, fairs and other public events. While some counties typically promote local fishing sites, currently there is no promotion for the Great Lakes Region as a whole. Approximately 40 percent of the anglers who fish Lake Ontario and the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers are from out of state. ($100,000)

Beyond Niagara

In addition, the restoration plan includes funding for other notable system-wide projects designed to improve research and boost the fishery. Highlights include:

-- Reconfiguration of the Waterport Dam tail races on the Oak Orchard River (Orleans County). This is Lake Ontario's third-most fished tributary. During high water, fish can become stranded in an overflow channel, exposing them to unethical fishing, high temperatures and low oxygen levels. The project will decrease mortality rates. ($50,000)

-- Stream bank improvements to an 18-mile stretch of the Salmon River (Oswego County), one of the most extensively fished waterways in the state. Over time, there has been a general build up material in certain channels, creating pools and eroding banks. The project aims to alleviate problems and take angler traffic away from the more susceptible points. ($500,000)

-- Upgrades to the state-run Salmon River Fish Hatchery in Oswego County. A comprehensive study will evaluate water supply and hatchery practices and develop a plan to improve trout and salmon production at the facility. ($2.2 million)

-- A new automated fish marking trailer that will be used to mark Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Trout, and possibly other species. The technology, widely used in the Pacific Northwest, will allow DEC to mark and track upwards of 2.5 million fish annually - significantly improving DEC's ability to monitor and study species in Lake Ontario and its tributaries. ($1.5 million)

-- Sea Lamprey control barriers. This grant will be matched by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to construct "low-head barriers" that block Sea Lamprey migration and spawning in Lake Ontario tributaries. Sea Lampreys, a parasite that attach to a host fish, have contributed to the decline of sportfish, especially lake trout. ($60,000)

-- Walleye spawning habitat fund. DEC staff will use this grant to assess tributaries (including the Oswego River, Little Sandy Creek, Black River and Oswegatchie River) to determine the presence of Walleye and spawning habitat to help improve fish production. ($200,000)

-- Hatchery improvements at the Cape Vincent Fisheries Station (Jefferson County), to help launch stocking programs for Walleye, Northern Pike and Muskellunge. In recent years, local officials and coalitions have begun repairs at the former federal fish hatchery. DEC, which now owns the facility, anticipates that these stocking programs will provide measurable improvements to Lake Ontario sportfisheries. ($1.4 million)

-- Northern Pike Spawning Marsh Rehabilitation. Historic pike spawning grounds have been wrecked by the proliferation of Typha (cattails), especially over the last 15 years. DEC surveys have documented a decline in Northern Pike over that period. Part of the project involves using a special excavator to cut channels in Typha mats and outlet ditches in the Eastern Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River area. ($200,00