Construction of a flood resiliency project at Goose Bay Boat Launch in the town of Alexandria, Jefferson County has been completed. The project was awarded $455,000 in grant funding through the State’s Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI). The completed improvements will address fluctuating water levels along the St. Lawrence River, as well as promote boater safety. [Read more…] about Goose Bay Boat Launch Project Completed
St. Lawrence River
New Field Guides to Adirondack Invasive Species
Two organizations that work to protect Adirondack lands and waters from environmental and economic harm caused by invasive species —The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) — have released a pair of free complementary guides on invasive species in the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about New Field Guides to Adirondack Invasive Species
New York’s Forgotten Aeronaut & Diver: William Warren Rulison
When seventy-eight-year-old William Rulison passed away in August of 1931, the only newspaper in Upstate New York that carried the news was Cooperstown’s Otsego Farmer. In this obituary, he was noted only as a “pioneer in balloon flying in this part of the country,” and a man who went by the title of Professor. This report of his passing left much untold, and in the material that follows I hope to give a complete account of his full and varied life. [Read more…] about New York’s Forgotten Aeronaut & Diver: William Warren Rulison
Burbot: New York’s Misunderstood Cod Cousin
In the midst of winter, the ice-covered lakes of the Northeast seem quiet. It may, however, be a bit noisy below the ice. Winter into early spring is the spawning season for burbot, when males produce sounds to attract mates. [Read more…] about Burbot: New York’s Misunderstood Cod Cousin
Flood Project at St. Lawrence River Boat Launch Completed
Construction is complete on a flood resiliency project at the Oak Point Boat Launch in the town of Hammond, St. Lawrence County. The completed improvements are expected to address fluctuating water levels along the St. Lawrence River, as well as promote boater safety. [Read more…] about Flood Project at St. Lawrence River Boat Launch Completed
The Two Alexander Macombs: A Slaveholder & A Duplicitous Negotiator
Alexander Macomb, the elder, (1748–1831) was a fur trader, land and currency speculator, and slaveholder who supported the British during the American Revolution and provided the occupying British army with trade goods. [Read more…] about The Two Alexander Macombs: A Slaveholder & A Duplicitous Negotiator
The Riot in Ogdensburg, 1871
On Friday, August 18th, 1871, “The Riot at Ogdensburg” was the New-York Tribune’s title for its detailed review on the rapid rise of an Irish mob three days earlier – which the paper labeled “a formidable riotous element” – in the small, quiet port of Ogdensburg on the St. Lawrence River.
For two days, the mob’s threat of violence, and violence itself, was so intense that the mayor deputized nearly 100 men to restore law and order. [Read more…] about The Riot in Ogdensburg, 1871
Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River Projects Funded
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Syracuse-based Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC) have announced nearly $90,000 in grant awards for three research projects that will address priority issues identified by New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda and support science needs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative on Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River Projects Funded
DEC Releases Draft Great Lakes Action Agenda
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the draft New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda 2022-2030, a multi-year action plan to guide restoration and conservation, and foster sustainable, resilient, communities in New York’s Great Lakes region. [Read more…] about DEC Releases Draft Great Lakes Action Agenda
DEC Says Lake Sturgeon Recovery Close; Planning Removal from Threatened Species List
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of the 2021 Lake Sturgeon Population Assessment Status Report.
Lake sturgeon can live for more than 100 years and grow to seven feet in length, making them the largest freshwater fish in New York. Because of this long lifespan and delayed sexual maturity, lake sturgeon are incredibly vulnerable to over-fishing and population depletion. [Read more…] about DEC Says Lake Sturgeon Recovery Close; Planning Removal from Threatened Species List