Seneca County Tackles Erosion Sources

Provided by Seneca Co. SWCD

Officials discuss stormwater runoff and erosion controls at the Seneca Petro Travel Center construction site.

The Seneca County Soil and Water Conservation District has received approval for the expenditure of $48,192 in grant funds to stabilize road banks in the Cayuga Lake watershed. During the past summer, interns conducted an assessment and identified a number of locations with severely eroding road banks and ditches. These sites can act as significant sources of sediment loading to Cayuga Lake tributaries. Work will be conducted with the Romulus and Covert highway departments during 2003 to eliminate these sediment sources and stabilize the roads.

Controlling sediment and erosion has become a focal point in Seneca County. The District anticipates a much increased work load as new stormwater regulations become effective in 2003 and is working to get information out to the public. In fact, the county's 2002 Agricultural Bus Tour included several erosion control sites, one of which was a non-farm-related travel plaza construction site. In an effort to reduce future erosion impacts from roadwork, the SWCD has also assisted NYS Department of Transportation in ensuring that exposed soils are properly reseeded and mulched following construction work. For more information on the proposed work, call the District at (315) 568-4366.