Author Topic: Scenes from Embankment Stabilization Work in Eagle Harbor & Gaines Basin (Read 50 times)

Doug K · « **on:** April 07, 2022, 01:36:46 pm »

As we promised, here's some pictures from the Eagle Harbor - Gaines Basin Erie Canal Embankment Repair.

It's actually TWO different work zones, that are along this 2 mile long earthen embankment in the Town of Gaines. One of the work zones, nearer to the east end of this embankment, is getting a filter blanket constructed to abate some excessive seeping in the area of Beardsley Creek, the other is repair to a cement liner that carries the Erie Canal on the top of a 50' earthen embankment, across Otter Creek.

Here's a view of Otter Creek and a Topographic Map of the surrounding area.

Scenes from Embankment Stabilization Work in Eagle Harbor & Gaines Basin

https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=43.25339&lon=-78.23418&datum=nad83&zoom=4&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomin&size=m&cross=on

Since the Erie Canal Trail is closed on BOTH ends of this repair I took the overland route, and followed an old game trail along the east side of Otter Creek to where it flows under the Canal Embankment near the Eagle Harbor Rd end. It was a very nice walk and ends up right on the South Embankment of the Erie Canal.

Note: The Erie Canal runs along the right side of this picture, top of the hill you see.

You can see this work on the cement lining from the Lift Bridge at Eagle Harbor Rd, but it's about 1/2 mile away so hard to tell what was being done.

But the view from the south side of the Erie , when I exited the game trail, was amazing. This is all happening near a widewaters area in Eagle Harbor.

I will cover the Canal Embankment Stabilization work being done at the Gaines Basin end of this embankment section, in a reply to this post. That should be up very soon.

And for those who like a little history, here's some about how, when & why this embankment was built in this area.

https://www.newyorkroots.org/bookarchive/pioneerhistoryorleanscounty/ch19/eagleharbor.html

Doug K · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2022, 01:51:31 pm »

Here's the pictures from the canal embankment stabilization work near Gaines Basin Rd. You can see the work from the high bridge over the canal, but it's far off in the distance.

Walking east from where the Otter Creek game trail found it's way to the canal, just past the wide waters, on a slightly wider section of channel, near culvert 85, you can see the equipment and crews slowly removing more invasive trees, and they have an excavator there to start adding the new materials for the filter blanket there.

You can see there are trees left along the canal, at the base of what is about a 20' or so tall, earthen embankment. And beyond this area is almost all corn fields... both sides, for a few miles. The canal provides irrigation for this area, and farmers need these repairs made so that the canal can get re-watered, and they can start their irrigation pumps to fill farm ponds.

This hopefully ends the mystery, and confusion, about this latest earthen canal dam repair.

There's no devastation, no strip mining of canal slopes, no utter destruction as some would have us believe. It's just a small crew of NYS Canal Workers, going about the business, of keeping New Yorkers safe. They are doing that by insuring the Erie Canal is properly maintained and safe to use for yet another year, it's 96th year of operation with this version of the NYS Erie-Barge Canal. Give them a break, let them work without distraction.

And the ECNA would like to say "Thank you all for your dedication to SAFETY along the Erie Canal"

Doug K · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2022, 05:28:06 pm »

We were told about this GREAT new website by the New York State Canal Corporation.

Can't say enough about the Canal Corporation partnerships with dividing up work flows better, New York Parks & Trails, Greenway Belt, and this great website for the New York Empire Trail system, mapped by each main section.

https://empiretrail.ny.gov/

We did find the recent closure in Eagle Harbor mentioned on their webpage, under Trail Closures... that page may be better linked to the main Canal Corporation Trails page in the future, it lags behind a bit but is well covered here for all ECT enthusiast

https://empiretrail.ny.gov/trail-closures

News:

Author Topic: Scenes from Embankment Stabilization Work in Eagle Harbor & Gaines Basin (Read 50 times)

Doug K

Scenes from Embankment Stabilization Work in Eagle Harbor & Gaines Basin

Doug K

Re: Scenes from Embankment Stabilization Work in Eagle Harbor & Gaines Basin

Doug K

Embankment Repair in Eagle Harbor on Empire State Trail Closure Page