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Today's Poll: Do you think the Tonawanda Creek can become more of a recreation asset for Batavia?

By Howard B. Owens
Kelly Hansen

This is good news! As Batavians, it seems kind of silly to drive to other towns (primarily Black Creek in Churchville) to enjoy kayaking when we have a creek right in town. I just wish it was opening sooner. We've already been paddling due to this March heatwave!

Mar 21, 2012, 8:23am Permalink
Phil Ricci

I have always said that Batavia has the potential to be the best destination location in Western New York. It's very location gives it this potential. What we have been lacking is a clear vision as to what we want to be. These kind of projects, which I'm sure will be blasted as wasteful by the boo birds, is the kind of low cost things we can do to make people stay and want to visit.

Out of the box thinking doesn't have to translate into out of control spending. There are great little projects like this that can start to form the soul of this area.

Mar 21, 2012, 8:40am Permalink
tom hunt

Some work would have to be done to clear out the fallen trees along the creek bed. Also all the shopping carts, bicycles and other trash that people have thrown in over the years.

Mar 21, 2012, 9:30am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Lol TP.... The fallen trees and even some of the carts n bikes arent as important as the trash. Theres quite a population of gamefish and waterfowl just between the falls behind the court house to the rte 98 bridge. I haunted that area fishing last year, caught bass and pike in significant quantities. As well as kingfishers, blue herons and a breed of pure white heron and ducks and geese. A waterway like this is the first step.

Mar 21, 2012, 10:13am Permalink
Ken Herrmann

If people are going to use the Tonawanda for recreation, keep in mind the number of residences in East Pembroke that dump their sewage directly into the creek because they lack a septic system.

Mar 21, 2012, 10:28am Permalink
Lorie Longhany

I have always said that the village of LeRoy's biggest asset by far is the Oatka running through the middle of Main St. Thank goodness for the public works project during the depression that gave us this beautiful and valuable asset, which is our creek bank.

I enthusiastically voted 'yes' in this poll and agree with Phil and Kelly.

LeRoy had the chance with a large grant to do the same -- boat launches, green space, walkway -- but there were some who didn't have the same vision and the opportunity was lost. I hope Batavia doesn't make the same mistake.

Mar 21, 2012, 11:03am Permalink
Kelly Hansen

We have paddled the Oatka as well, putting in above red bridge and paddling up past Lapp Insulator. They used to dump the rejected insulators over the edge and many are in the creek there. Some of them are absolutely enormous in the water. It is a very short paddle (the rocks get too big and close together to paddle through) but we collected a lot of garbage on the trip. There were a lot of beer cans and even submerged glass bottles that haven't been manufactured since maybe the 1980s.

We've found in our kayaking and canoeing travels all over the state that people who enjoy paddling care a great deal for the waterways, and leave them in better shape than they find them. The people who picnic and spend time alongside the waterways often allow aluminum cans and trash to blow into the creeks and lakes. Trees fall into creeks all of the time, and you find that paddlers who use the waterways are the ones who bring pruning sheers and small saws to cut away branches. Paddling allows your senses take in surroundings from an entirely different vantage point, and adds to the appreciation of the great treasure we live near and most never fully appreciate.

All of the local creeks and other waterways were at some point a dumping ground for chemicals, sewer, and by-products of manufacturing. Find a mucky place in any of our local creeks and you will find greasy, black sludge that smells like the scrapings from a septic tank. Not pleasant. Things are getting cleaned up, slowly, and some waterways we've been in have been cause for a good cleaning of our equipment upon our return. I'd be willing to paddle many places that I would never consider swimming in.

There are people all over NY searching for new places to paddle. If Batavia is added to the list, it can only mean more people bringing business to our area. In the paddling community, word travels far and if Batavia provides a pleasant place for people to fish and paddle with their families, it can only be positive for our community. I'm tired of having to leave Genesee County in order to spend a day on the water with my family and friends.

Mar 21, 2012, 12:08pm Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

A great idea, I have seen a recent uptic in canoes and kayaks along the tonawanda while fishing.
Kyle, This creek is full of fish, been telling people this for years.
Hope the project is approved, and soon to be enjoyed by many.

Mar 21, 2012, 4:18pm Permalink

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