What's wrong with this picture... how is this situation possible? Everyone supports safety right?

WRONG! A group of people, dedicated to protecting Nature, is actively fighting against an Erie Canal Safety Project that helps all of Rochester's Communities that live along the waterway & trail. That's the TRUTH of the matter that has pitted yet another "grass-roots" group, The Stop the Clear Cut group (STCC) against the New York Power Authority and Canal Corporation (NYPA & NYCC) who are trying to repair a 100 year old Erie Canal. I'm a bit offended by this groups behavior, are human beings part of "nature"? Don't those living BELOW the dams matter?

Tried to sum that answer up with ONE word, maybe this is the one that fits best - IGNORANCE. You will see that word used a lot here.

IGNORANCE here carries a dual meaning dependent on whether you are Supporting the Embankment Repair project or if you are actively Fighting against these safety changes being made to the Erie Canal. I happen to be supporting this project, as suddenly there is a 377' long x 15' tall Dam that showed up in our backyard a few months back. Maybe it would have been easier to let other's do my thinking, but if you live NEXT to these unsafe Erie Canal Embankments you are acting IGNORANTLY if you don't understand how living at the BOTTOM of an Earthen Flood Control Structure will change your life, which is what an Embankment Dam is, a FLOOD control structure that keeps the water from washing your house away.

This is something I learned becoming LESS IGNORANT: Based on typical Erie Canal topography if the embankment nearest your property is taller than 16-18' then ALL of the water you see INSIDE the Erie Canal (at that point on the trailway) is ABOVE the ground level below it. All of the earth used to build the Dam, from the waterline down, is very saturated below the water's surface to the Phreatic Line which naturally drains water towards the Toe of Slope. Woody vegetation disrupts this natural water flow and THAT is what causes normal leakage to turn into a devastating flood. That saturated soil does NOT go away when they "dewater" the Canal in winter, it's just "less water in the Dam".

Smart Neighbors of the Erie Canal would recognize these Embankments for what they are, unsafe Dams as they look today. So how is it this project has caused so many of our neighbors to be divided by a simple "recognition of safety"? Is it just IGNORING the TRUTH?


First, there's the IGNORANCE of those fighting against safety, like the STCC group. Whether it's willful or true IGNORANCE, the simple fact is there is a pronounced safety aspect associated with this Embankment Repair Project. That fact has been clearly stated by the NY Canal Corp and still a group of people simply can't or won't see that fact. They do NOT talk about safety on their website & simply refuse to call these embankments DAMS.

Those who support keeping trees are unconsciously working AGAINST safety, safer dams, and safer communities, no matter how they disguise it.

This type of IGNORANCE places thousands of people in possible peril while this group says "sorry, we don't see it", there is NOTHING wrong with the Erie Canal, nothing to fix". The fact is everything about SAFETY on this Embankment Project IS TRUE. There is overwhelming evidence supporting it with recent inspections and major emergency repairs. This version of the Erie is one of the OLDEST, and as such DOES need to be brought up to 21st century standards... hopefully we won't all be IGNORANT of that simple fact.

It's not an opinion, it's FACTS that define DAM SAFETY my friends... remember that

This ignorance in itself is bad enough, but when the NY Canal Corp & Power Authority are unwilling or unable to correct these folks about a simple question of SAFETY you have to ask yourself why? Are these two groups so IGNORANT that they can't see WHY  fighting back AGAINST those who deny SAFETY is a denial in itself? It borders on negligence on the part of management here, they should be REINFORCING their message if they want people to believe them. If Embankment Remediation is a SAFETY project they certainly don't act like it is

There are MANY groups within New York State that would feel the need to be engaged if the words "Unsafe Embankments" was being touted as the reason behind a multi-million dollar Safety Project, DEC, ASDSO to name a couple. If there is STRENGTH in NUMBERS then why hasn't the NY Canal Corp asked for help engaging this ignorance of safety, seem to me they are IGNORING their duty to escape being criticized for "causing their own problems". Right now groups who SHOULD be aware of UNSAFE DAMS in NYS are IGNORANT to that fact... that WILL change soon. Department of Environmental Conservation does need to weigh in soon, for SEQR study... they will hopefully END the practice of IGNORING these aging Dams, & get much needed OVERSIGHT of 122 miles of Erie Canal Embankments

There is an answer to the work stoppage of this Erie Canal Safety Project on Rochester's Eastside Communities it's quite simple, make those IGNORING the safety aspects associated with this project understand these issues are REAL, no question, no argument. That includes STCC, DEC and the ASDSO, for their part, NYPA & the NYCC have TRIED to correct their issues until "well meaning" people simply IGNORED their SAFETY message.

The conversation on this Embankment Repair project, especially the actual NEED to have this work done, will always STALL until ALL parties acknowledge the simple message of Safety here. Those entrusted with insuring that safety have NO choice but to wait until those "feigning ignorance about safety" come to their senses, if that's even possible now as others have given them credibility, when they should have had NONE.

It's called liability folks, and can't be IGNORED. NYCC & its management KNOW the right course to take and MUST take it regardless of how silly the public is acting or how IGNORANT the public is to its own safety, or lack of safety in this case. While the STCC folks can IGNORE public safety, these state agencies charged with MAINTAINING SAFETY can't. Those who believe they can are just being IGNORANT.. see the theme?

The act of IGNORING carries a strong message to those who expect your support on something like this project. After you have gained public support but LOST the advocacy of those individuals who actually get the safety message and help you, there is a sense that somewhere you are still failing, which NYPA & NYCC are both doing on this project. Choosing to IGNORE those who are lying about safety as well as IGNORING those who are trying to spread your safety message in the guise of "fairplay" seems a bit IGNORANT to some as well who follow this project... enough said there.

I've chosen to simply IGNORE the Project Owners until we, the ECNA, hear the message that is needed from them which is "safety safety safety"! That message has to be delivered from the Project OWNERSHIP to ONLY one group, those who are IGNORING it NOW, those that support the STCC and their continued IGNORANCE of the FACTS... not my facts or your facts, accepted facts & science about Embankment Dams & Vegetation Free Zones needed to maintain SAFETY.... after all we can't be IGNORANT to the fact that this project is ALL ABOUT SAFETY.

Once everyone is talking about Safety again, and NOT TREES, regarding this Embankment Repair Project, we will know that the NYCC has finally figured out how to communicate it's message and is making ALL of Rochester safe from this aging series of Earthen Dams that makes up the Erie Canal. The sad truth here is, most communities would be welcoming ANY help to correct a safety issue in their midst, well at least the SMART ones that don't IGNORE the message of Safety

Until then I plan to IGNORE this Project Leadership and their IGNORANCE in not understanding how to deal with the IGNORANCE of the public opposition to Safety Issue THEY created & own in our community...shameful they can't change the conversation away from trees back to safety. We seemed to be able to do that, what's their issue?

We've heard that sometimes "less is more". In this case NOTHING but silence from those supporting this project should speak VOLUMES against how it's being run.