West Canada Creek--Gov Letter

September 13, 2007


Governor Eliot Spitzer
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

RE: West Canada Creek Watershed—Water Wars

Dear Governor Spitzer:

Attached to this letter is a Resolution adopted by the Town of Trenton Town Board on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2007. This resolution is a result of new legislation and court actions that are currently in process. New York Rivers United believes that this will be the first of many similar actions taken by local governments, citizens, sporting groups and others to call attention to an issue the has been lingering for years, because no one has been willing to assume a leadership role and address the problem in a comprehensive way.

The West Canada Creek Watershed is one of our state’s finest. Yet, much of the demand on the system is NOT based on sound science or current law. Instead, it is based on outdated and conflicting laws and rules enacted in the past century. While the competition for this resource grows, there continues to be lack of sound and current information.

New York Rivers United is not against development; we understand the need for drinking water. NYRU believes that good, clean, safe drinking water is essential. The need for energy is also a given. While hydropower is not completely benign, it can be made “green,” mitigating its adverse impacts. NYRU has been involved statewide in actions to accomplish this. The New York State Canal system is no longer primarily a transportation lane. It is a recreation way, which is certainly important.

On the other side of the equation, the West Canada Creek is a world-class trout fishery, widely enjoyed for boating and fishing. Property values continue to increase along its shores, and Hinckley Reservoir has a State Park. Growth in the watershed is dependent on well water, which is tied to levels in the reservoir. Water now being wasted because of the current old transport system is not being addressed, and the fluctuating flows from power plants are adversely affecting the lower creek. West Canada System is not the only source for drinking water and out–of-basin transfers can lead to larger problems.





The issues are not new, nor are they unique to West Canada. The fight for water is ongoing across this country, and because of increasing, often-competing demands for water, there will be more contention over the issue in New York. The resolution of the battle is not new either. Science and law are the building blocks that must be used.

Leadership is needed to bring all parties to a negotiating table! Someone at the highest level must call for a complete and comprehensive evaluation of all issues. Parties must then use relevant information to draft a new operational plan that brings the system up-to-date, making it compatible with science and law as it now is written.

New York Rivers United calls upon you, as the elected governor, to assume this responsibility and to bring all the parties together. We urge you to support completion of the necessary studies, so that negotiations can begin and can be productive. We must not continue in the direction we are currently headed.

NYRU has asked for such action at other levels of government (see attached letter), but it is clear that new direction must come from the top. The West Canada Creek Watershed is at risk!

We thank you for your interest and look forward to your response. Should you have any questions, I can be reached at (315) 339-2097?

Bruce R. Carpenter
Executive Director
New York Rivers United