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Spring 2005 |
| Warm Weather Renews Focus
On Restocking Reservoirs Spring. It was a long time in coming to the Schoharie Valley this year but well worth the wait. The Power Authority was forced to delay the reopening of its reservoirs at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project to boating by more than three weeks in April because of the continued presence of ice in the waters. But now that conditions are safe, boating and fishing are again in full swing. And with that comes renewed attention to the Power Authority’s plans for restocking the reservoirs with walleye, an increasingly popular game fish in Schoharie County. NYPA is working with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cobleskill to establish a walleye fish-stocking program for waterways in Schoharie County, including the upper and lower reservoirs at Blenheim-Gilboa. NYPA is contributing $20,000 to SUNY Cobleskill to fund expansion of the college’s aquaculture program. The money will help the school construct two additional ponds for raising walleye. SUNY Cobleskill currently raises about 5,000 fingerling walleye on campus in one half-acre pond. The Schoharie County Conservation Association (SCCA) suggested that the Power Authority shift the emphasis of its restocking program from trout to walleye, saying walleye would do better in the reservoirs because of the constant stirring of the waters. “The Power Authority is committed to maintaining a quality recreational fishery in both the upper and lower reservoirs at the power project,” said NYPA President Eugene Zeltmann. “In partnership with SUNY Cobleskill, restocking with walleye is what we will do.” Dr. Thomas Haas, president of SUNY Cobleskill, said the partnership with NYPA in the fish restocking program “is an outstanding example of how business, education and community members can work together for the betterment of the community as a whole. We’re grateful for the Power Authority’s ongoing support for this and many other SUNY Cobleskill programs.” NYPA’s funding also will be used to train SUNY Cobleskill students in all stages of fish stocking, including walleye rearing and harvesting, water quality monitoring and the design and construction of fish ponds. In return for the Power Authority’s $20,000 investment, the college will provide walleye fingerlings to NYPA at no cost for three years. After that, the Power Authority will have the first option to purchase the fingerlings at a fair market price. The restocking plan will help to support the upcoming Life Extension and Modernization (LEM) program at the Blenheim-Gilboa project. To permit some of the modernization work, water levels in the power plant’s upper reservoir will be drawn down for a short period during four autumns, beginning in 2006, creating a need to restock with fish. The walleye will be used to help stock both the upper and lower reservoirs. “Walleye are an increasingly popular game fish in Schoharie County,” said state Sen. James Seward, who joined Zeltmann to announce the initiative. “SUNY Cobleskill and the SCCA have been studying ways to introduce more walleye into area waterways. NYPA’s support for the effort is very welcomed.” Research has shown that pond fingerlings require the shortest amount of time in the pond and have better survival rates than walleye in other stages of growth. (Photo caption - NYPA President Eugene Zeltmann, center, presented a symbolic $20,000 check to SUNY Cobleskill President Thomas Haas, left. Joining the ceremony was state Sen. James Seward.) Reservoirs Open; Boating Permits Required The upper and lower reservoirs at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project are open to boaters who obtain and display special permits on their boats and boat trailers. Applications for permits can be obtained by calling 1-800-724-0309 or by visiting the Power Authority’s website, www.nypa.gov. Permits for recreational boating will be good until Sept. 30. The reservoirs are closed from Oct. 1 through April 1 (or later, depending on ice melt). The upper reservoir, located on Kingsley Road in the Town of Gilboa, is open to boating daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Permit holders are required to call 1-800-367-6972, extension 6364, on the day before they intend to use the upper reservoir. On the day they use the upper reservoir, boaters must stop at the South Gate on Valenti Road to notify security personnel. The lower reservoir can be reached through Mine Kill State Park on Route 30. Boating is permitted from 7:30 a.m. until dusk. Boating on both reservoirs is restricted to recreational craft—rowboats or canoes—with or without electric trolling motors and which are clearly marked with New York State registration numbers and a NYPA permit. Boats equipped with gasoline-powered engines are permitted on the LOWER reservoir only, as are water sports such as swimming, waterskiing, windsurfing and tubing. Fishing is permitted from boats and from the shores of both reservoirs, with access through designated entrances. Cars and trailers must be parked in designated parking areas. Auto Buffs Shine at 2 Car Shows For aficionados of antique autos and connoisseurs of classic cars, the Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center will be where it’s at in June and July. Two auto shows that are annual highlights of summer in the Schoharie Valley are expected to attract thousands of visitors and help collect funds for worthy causes. The D.A.R.E. Car Show, which helps the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Department raise money for its Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, will be held on Sunday, June 12, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per car load. And the Schoharie Valley Antique Auto Show, a summer tradition for more than three decades, is scheduled for Sunday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 per person (children under 7 free). Proceeds help to support the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley. “The D.A.R.E. show tends to attract classic cars from the 1950s to the 1970s, custom cars and street rods,” said Steve Ramsey, senior community relations representative at the Power Authority’s Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project. “For the Antique Auto Show, the larger of the two, the focus is more on older autos, dating from the early 1900s to the 1950s, although we do get some of the later models.” A highlight of the July 17 show will be a 1948 Tucker, designed by Preston Tucker as “the car of the future.” Although 51 models were built, the car never went into mass production. There will be upwards of 300 antique and classic cars in each show, displayed on the grounds of the Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center and the adjacent Lansing Manor historic mansion. There will be prizes in various show categories, as well as music, food vendors and door prizes, and a flea market during the show on July 17. The Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center is located on Route 30, about 17 miles south of Middleburgh and five miles north of Grand Gorge. For questions about the auto shows, contact the visitors center at 518-287-6380. |
VN Notes Surplus Computers Serve Schoharie Libraries, Schools The Power Authority is contributing surplus computers to two public libraries in the Schoharie Valley as part of its continuing state- wide computer-donation program. NYPA officials plan to deliver five computers to the Schoharie Free Library in Schoharie this spring. The announcement was made during the library’s grand re-opening ceremonies to mark the completion of an extensive renovation. NYPA also helped to fund the renovations. The Power Authority also is donating five surplus computers to the Middleburgh Library. These computers are in addition to those that NYPA previously donated to schools in Middleburgh, Gilboa and Jefferson. NYPA has made surplus com-puters available to public facilities throughout the state, especially schools and other non-profit organizations involved in educational programs and community service. Upcoming Events at the Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center JUNE JULY JULY-AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER About Valley News Produced periodically by the New York Power Authority to update our neighbors on activities at our Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project and its visitors center, and as a community newsletter for residents of the Schoharie Valley. If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please contact Steve Ramsey, NYPA’s senior community relations representative, at 518-287-6380, by fax at 518-287-6381 or at steve.ramsey@nypa.gov. |