Fall Creek Watershed Committee Minutes
March 1, 2001

Members Present: Sharon Anderson, Deb Grantham, Steve Pennington, Jim Lassoie, Mary Hegarty, Beth Lawrence, Jeannette LeBoyer, Bob Fahoy, Geof Eckereen, Ruth Sherman, Phil Koons, David Bouldin, Yvette deBoer, Tim Patronski, Joyce Gerbasi, Ken W.

Guest Speaker: Matt Shulmen, Project IMPACT, Town of Dryden

Project IMPACT

Matt Shulman gave a presentation on this special project for the Town of Dryden. Goal: to try to propitiate disasters. FEMA has chosen approximately 10-12 communities within NYS, including Dryden because Dryden has flooding, potential flood hazards.

Last year time was spent on hazard mitigation plan, with 29 charges to follow up on.

Matt passed out handouts. Areas of concern include: flood hazard, dry hydrants, hazard trees, FIRM, flood zone, remediation/replacement

Interested in partnering with FCWC on stream clean up and stream bank stabilization and other projects, including developing project in Yellow Barn area.

As a partner, FCWC would not have financial or time/project responsibilities (obligation minimal). The committee instructed Sharon to complete the form on their behalf. Committee members are invited to attend an official signing ceremony on May 11, 2pm.

Cornell Student Reports: (Senior field practicum)

Jim Lassoic provided an update about the course itself and its goals/ objectives

Most of the students have chosen an emphasis called "Know Your Watershed". The goal is to create obtain and organize existing data so it is more accessible. Potential outputs: website, pamphlet, maps, posters, survey, outreach. May only take some of the steps needed now but would form a foundation for future work.

Potenial areas of focus

• Historical: A lot of data -would organize, analyze, present in usable format
  Agriculture:
• Infrastructure information:
• Biology: Want to document/ consolidate
• Natural Areas & Trails:

Fishing Fall Creek

One student is very interested in fishing as a vehicle to get people out in watershed

Comments from the Committee

included a variety of reaction, including new ideas:

• Yellow Barn "continental divide" idea (post signs)
• Fishing- check tourism bureau for funds
• Could use other web sites to promote (Dryden Town Board)
• EMC has done a lot of pieces of this, ex: biology, unique natural areas
• Need to be sensitive about promotions/ publications unique natural areas
• Involve local schools as both recipients and participants

Suggestions : (places to start)

• Historical - land use changes/ history challenging to assess before 1940's (discrepancy between political vs. hydrological subdivisions)
• Identify potential uses first, then organize/ prioritize based on this, maybe select a specific audience
• Develop a pamphlet. Leading to getting to know your watershed
• Surveys, focus groups, interviews, public meeting were determined to not be feasible at this time
• Project could include a present at Dairy Days (in June), or Water Week (students will still be here)

Updates

• DEC is putting monitoring units at the mouth of Fall Creek (but unsure of parameters)
• Pat Reily: things starting to come together. He would like some feedback/ input on what our priorities would be for parameters and testing regime
• Stream bank round bank erosion survey for Cayuga Lake
  March 14 presentation EMC meeting at transit center, 7:10 pm

Training in Pennsylvania

• PA very organized, very supportive and advanced in terms of volunteer monitoring effort
• very much of a "can do" attitude
• suggest a subcommittee to work/develop on this

Next FCWC meeting: April 5 at Dryden Town Hall

Notes taken by Yvette De Boer