Henderson channel dredging is close to approval

HENDERSON — Town officials have less than three weeks to obtain permission from a landowner and clear the channel between Snowshoe Bay and Lake Ontario.

Known locally as "the cut," the channel again has collected debris deposited by currents in the fall and winter.

Dr. Nak K. Shim, owner of Association Island and the land on both sides of the cut, must give written consent for workers to gain access to his property to begin dredging.

"I spoke with Dr. Shim the other day," said Mitchell L. Franz, a member of the Lake Ontario Fisheries Coalition, which will do the dredging. "We've ironed out what his concerns were and he has given us a verbal OK."

The area must be dredged by April 1, so as not to interfere with the beginning of the spawning season for brown trout and steelhead trout. The process takes about a week, he said.

"If the weather cooperates, we should begin the last week in March," Mr. Franz said.

The cut was last cleared in 2008, at which time the town acquired a five-year permit for dredging from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The silt that fills the cut also can cause a safety hazard for boaters.

"It seems like every two years we need to clean out the area," Mr. Franz said.

"It needs to be cleared out because it makes for a safe harbor. It's a shortcut back to the docks in case there is an emergency out on the lake."

The town's Highway Superintendent, Harold R. Nelson, said the dredging may need to be done again in order to clear all the rocks.

"We've got to get the ball rolling on this," he said. "We'll make an attempt to at least make it passable by April."

The town will store the stones in the quarry for future use Mr. Nelson said.

Town Supervisor Raymond A. Walker said the cost for clearing the cut is still being worked out, but the town will face minimal costs. Mr. Walker said there was no line item in the budget set aside for the cut, but money can come from the general fund without significant impact.

"The fisheries coalition foots most of the bill for this project," Mr. Walker said.

The dredging cost approximately $7,000 in 2008, Mr. Franz said.

"We're waiting for estimates from an outside contractor," he said, "so figures might be higher. We will still utilize some of the town's equipment and employees and maybe even some of the county's equipment."

Mr. Franz said other contributions have been made to the coalition in an effort to keep the dredging costs low for the coalition.

Upstate NY Power Corp., developer of the proposed Galloo Island Wind Farm, "has been a major contributor on helping us maintain the cut," Mr. Franz said. "It's an advantage for them because they may need to use the harbor for some of their smaller boats. We really appreciate their help to the community."