New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Fisheries

Boquet River Farm Easement Protects Salmon Fishery

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Aerial view of intact forests along the North Branch of the Boquet River on the Ben Wever Farm property (provided by Adirondack Land Trust/Becca Halter)294 acres of farmland with more than two miles of natural forest along the Boquet River and associated tributaries, have been brought under a permanent conservation easement in a deal between the Adirondack Land Trust and the landowners, the Gillilland family.

The Boquet River, a major tributary of Lake Champlain that drops 2,700 feet over its 47-mile course from the Adirondack High Peaks to the lake, provides critical spawning habitat for salmon and other native fish. [Read more…] about Boquet River Farm Easement Protects Salmon Fishery

Lake Ontario Fishing Boat Survey Summer 2023 Report Now Available

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Lake Ontario angler with fish - Chinook salmon (provided by DEC)According to the Summer 2003 Lake Ontario fishing boat survey, the lake provides anglers with a diverse world-class trout and salmon fishery worth an estimated $560 million dollars to New York’s economy. [Read more…] about Lake Ontario Fishing Boat Survey Summer 2023 Report Now Available

Adirondack Road Salt Report Issued: Some Data & Recommendations

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Snowplows apply road salt on the 1-87 Northway in the Adirondack Park (Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force Final Report)New York State’s Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force, established by the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act in 2020, has been released. The Task Force was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of road salt contamination and roadway, parking lot, driveway, and sidewalk management best practices within the Adirondack Park, and making recommendations for enhancements. [Read more…] about Adirondack Road Salt Report Issued: Some Data & Recommendations

$600,000 in Mohawk River Watershed Grants Awarded

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Paddler on the Erie Canal Mohawk River near Utica$600,000 in grants have been awarded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to implement the goals and objectives of the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda 2021-2026. The Action Agenda is a five-year plan advancing efforts to conserve, preserve, and restore the Mohawk River and its watershed and the grants will support local partnerships and initiatives throughout the region. [Read more…] about $600,000 in Mohawk River Watershed Grants Awarded

Report Shark Sightings in New York

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shortfin maco shark DEC photoSharks that can be found in New York’s marine waters play an important role in the food chain by keeping populations of fish and marine life in check. Without sharks, a balanced ocean ecosystem can be disrupted and cause negative effects on the entire ocean food web. [Read more…] about Report Shark Sightings in New York

Catskill Fish Hatchery: Home of Historic Trout Fishing

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Catskill Fish Hatchery in Livingston ManorIn the 1890s as the Catskills was becoming a very popular summer resort, in part due to the service provided by the New York, Ontario and Western Railway (O&W), the people of Sullivan County sought to have their own fish hatchery. [Read more…] about Catskill Fish Hatchery: Home of Historic Trout Fishing

Oneida Lake Walleye Telemetry Study Underway

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Oneida Lake Walleye Telemetry Study acoustic receiversThis fall the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be initiating a three-year telemetry study of adult walleyes in Oneida Lake to identify spawning sites, describe seasonal movement patterns, describe habitat use throughout the year, and determine where post-spawn walleye go after they have been processed at the Oneida Fish Hatchery. [Read more…] about Oneida Lake Walleye Telemetry Study Underway

Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World

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Cracked The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World (Patagonia, 2023) author Steven HawleyThroughout history, humans have dammed rivers at the cost of wild fish, Indigenous people, forested land, and healthy watersheds. Adding to the havoc of today’s climate-change-induced weather extremes and water shortages, science says there’s no future for the business of dam-building.

A new book offers hope for the dam removal movement and how it will contribute to the mitigation of the climate crisis: when we free the rivers, watersheds are restored and Earth heals itself.  In Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World (Patagonia, 2023) author Steven Hawley, an Oregon-based environmental journalist and documentary filmmaker, delivers the full, ugly truth about dams and offers a pathway toward freeing our rivers. [Read more…] about Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World

Rome Fish Hatchery: One of New York’s DEC’s Largest

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Rome Fish Hatchery provided by DECLocated in Oneida County a few miles north of the City of Rome, the Rome Fish Hatchery is one of DEC’s largest and central to many stocking locations. Brown trout and lake trout are raised there and hatchery staff play a major role in providing fish for airplane and helicopter stocking of remote waters. [Read more…] about Rome Fish Hatchery: One of New York’s DEC’s Largest