Flood study launched

Army Corps of Engineers comes to town

By FRITZ MAYER

YOUNGSVILLE, NY — The brook was babbling serenely on this bright May afternoon, providing for a starkly different scene than in the early hours of June 28, 2006. Then, its waters roared through the confluence with the East Branch Callicoon Creek and knocked several Youngsville businesses out of commission.

It was the event that focused Youngsville supervisor Linda Babicz’ attention on politics in looking for a solution to the repeated flooding in the town, and ultimately led her to run for public office. So, it was especially gratifying when Congressman Maurice Hinchey held a press conference at the Youngsville Pavilion, beside Panther Rock Brook, to announce that the long-awaited study of the Callicoon Creek Watershed is scheduled to begin next month.

While many communities in the region experienced flooding at the time, Hinchey said the reason he was successful in getting federal funding for the Callicoon Creek area was because Sullivan County officials made the commitment to provide matching funds. Hinchey said the study will cost $196,000, half of which will come from the corps. The other half will come from the county: $65,000 in monetary contributions and $31,000 of in-kind contributions, which will involve county employees working on the study.

According to the project manager from the Army Corps of Engineers, the study will look at rebuilding several dams that were washed out in recent floods, such as the one at Briscoe Lake, and it will also look at rebuilding dams that were washed out years ago and determine what their impact could be on flood mitigation. The study will also look at constructing three new dams, as well as erecting floodwalls and taking other flood mitigation efforts along the creek and its tributaries in the towns of Callicoon, Bethel and Delaware.

The Sullivan County Department of Planning and Environmental Management has been working toward the development of the study since the flooding occurred. Commissioner Dr. Bill Pammer said that his department had collected the flood damage

assessment data for the floods in 2004, ’05 and ’06, as well as for a flood in 1996. The corps used that data in developing its scope of work plan.

When the study is finished in about a year, it will not advise politicians about which mitigation projects should be pursued, but will make clear which solutions will work best. It will be up to local and federal politicians to decide which projects to fund.

Hinchey said he will have some mitigation money left over from the study to help fund the project, but his staff is also working to come up with additional funds for mitigation projects in 2010 or 2011.

Hinchey also secured funds for a study of the Little Beaverkill Creek in Livingston Manor, working with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation as the local partner. That study has not yet been scheduled to begin because of budget considerations in Albany. Hinchey said, however, that he is looking for ways to move that study forward as well.

Overall, for local residents and business owners who turned out to the press conference, this was good news. Babicz said, “This is a trickle-down plan that works.”