History, Natural History & the Arts
A former manufactured gas plant (MGP) was located on an approximately 11-acre area in Plattsburgh near the Saranac River from 1896 to 1960. The coal tar by-product of the manufacturing process was pumped into an on-site unlined lagoon for storage.
It was later discovered that the coal tar by-product seeped out of the unlined lagoon into bedrock and the nearby Saranac River. [Read more…] about Saranac River Restoration Efforts Underway at Former Gas Plant
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of final plans for the Imperial Mills Dam on the Saranac River in Plattsburgh.
The plan shores-up the dam to bring it into compliance with dam safety regulations and adds a carry for paddlers and a fish ladder to provide for passage of landlocked Atlantic salmon. There have been calls to remove the dam entirely, including by Lake Champlain Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the City of Plattsburgh and return the river to a more natural state and reduce the threat of flooding in the city. DEC’s announcement said they met with Clinton County officials before finalizing the plan. [Read more…] about DEC Plans To Shore-Up Saranac River’s Imperial Mills Dam