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PRESERVATION OF THE HEMLOCK-CANADICE WATERSHED IN A NATURAL STATE

(Photo by Bob Siegel, our Energy Chairperson) 

• Read Hemlock/Canadice Update by Hugh Mitchell

• Read "Hemlock and Canadice Lakes, a Watershed Conservation Issue?" by Laura Arney

The fate of over 7,200 acres of pristine semi-wilderness Finger Lakes will be decided this year. Sierra Club and most other conservation and environmental groups in the region are vitally concerned about the preservation of Hemlock & Canadice Lakes including the Upland Watershed owned by the City for over 125 years. A new water sharing agreement between the Monroe County Water Authority and the City is now being negotiated behind closed doors. These discussions include the possibility of selling Hemlock & Canadice to the Authority and/or (as reported in the Democrat & Chronicle) possible commercial sales of Hemlock lands by the City.

There are major issues at stake in these secret negotiations. For example: will properties the City has maintained in a pristine condition for over 125 years e developed for private use? Will the public have any in-put, information or voice in the decision? What role will New York State play?

Is the Spitzer administration willing to seriously consider working with the City and local governments for preservation of the land? Will the City continue to receive the pure Hemlock reservoir waters or will they be used for local development? What will happen to the two nesting pairs of bald eagles who inhabit the Hemlock Lake shores?

(More photos of the lakes below, click to enlarge)

At Canadice Lake by Russ Maurer	Hemlock Lake by Ray Nelson	Hemlock Lake by Russ Maurer

Talk about this issue online at Hemlock & Canadice: Last Two Undeveloped Finger Lakes Face Possible Development

& Hemlock & Canadice: Last Two Undeveloped Finger Lakes Face Possible Development

A CASE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE HEMLOCK-CANADICE WATERSHED IN A NATURAL STATE -By Stephen Lewandowski

We will also gain an understanding of the very current threat to the watershed as the City of Rochester considers opening the area to development. Meet at 9:30am at the First Unitarian Church parking lot, 220 South Winton Road, Rochester.

News on this issue:

• DEC chief visits Hemlock, a plus for possible watershed sale— New York state's environmental commissioner paid an unannounced visit Thursday to Hemlock Lake, taking in the grandeur of one of the last undeveloped Finger Lakes. He came away impressed — a development that can only be seen as positive by advocates of the notion that the state should purchase and preserve forever the land around Hemlock and Canadice lakes that now is owned by the city of Rochester. (October 5, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• MPNnow.com: New DEC chief wants talks on Hemlock, Canadice watersheds A spokesman for the city of Rochester insists that it’s not necessarily a sale negotiation. ROCHESTER — The new head of the state Department of Environmental Conservation has asked Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy to open negotiations on the future of city-owned watershed lands around Canadice and Hemlock lakes. A letter to Duffy from DEC Commissioner Alexander Grannis confirms statements made in April by state Parks and DEC officials at a Sierra Club meeting in Rochester. (May 21, 07) Messenger Post Newspapers
• City Council Approves Tax Abatement Plan, Lake Appraisal - 13WHAM.com The Council has also taken the first step toward selling Hemlock and Canadice lakes to New York state for use as state park land. The council voted to allow an appraisal of the property, but only if the city agrees not to sell to private developers. - 13WHAM.com
• www.whec.com - City of Rochester and Monroe County Water Authority work on new water agreement Talks continue between the City of Rochester and the Monroe County Water Authority on a new water-sharing agreement. The existing 30-year deal expires next year. One of the options on the table is a county takeover of the city system. Most city residents get their water from the Cobbs Hill reservoir. It's piped in from Hemlock and Canadice lakes. The county system gets its water from Lake Ontario. The city and county already share water. In fact there are more than 50 interconnection points between the city and the water authority. (May 8, 07) www.whec.com - Front Page
• ENVIRONMENT: State takeover likely for Hemlock, Canadice - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper There's been concern that city officials might sell land around Hemlock and Canadice Lakes to developers. But a stronger bet may be that the state buys the land. During the Rochester Sierra Club's annual Environmental Forum on April 19, city and state officials said they want to work together to preserve the land and lakes by putting them in the state's hands. (April 24, 07) Rochester City Newspaper
• Watershed's future on line - Forum focuses on finding way to shield Canadice, Hemlock lakes forever — Environmentalists, city and state officials believe the time is right for Rochester to sell 7,100 acres of land to the state if the parties can agree on a price and use of the land — despite the area being an abundant, natural supply of drinking water for the past 130 years. About 200 people attended a Sierra Club environmental forum Thursday at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester to hear about the watershed of Hemlock and Canadice lakes, about 30 miles south of Rochester. (April 20, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• FINGER LAKES: City would like state to buy Hemlock and Canadice - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper Could the state become the owner of the city-owned Hemlock and Canadice Lakes and the land around them? Mayor Bob Duffy that would be "the best of both worlds." Duffy had hoped to have the properties appraised, but at their meeting on Tuesday night, City Councilmembers turned him down. Their concern: that the appraisal might open the door to selling the land to developers. Duffy said last night that his push for an appraisal doesn't mean he is rushing to put the prime Finger Lakes real estate on the market. But, he said, not knowing the value of the city's assets is bad management. (April 19, 2007) Rochester City Newspaper
• Council Rejects Appraisal of City-Owned Wildnerness Land - ROCHESTER, NY (2007-04-18) A request from Mayor Bob Duffy to find out how much Rochester's watershed lands might be worth was rejected by City Council Tuesday night -- after environmentalists worried that it might be a prelude to selling the city-owned wilderness to developers. The land around Hemlock and Canadice Lakes in Livingston County has been protected from development by the city for 130 years. The lakes feed the city's water system. The city's protection has left them the only two of New York's Finger Lakes still in a wildnerness state. (April 18, 2007) WXXI NewsRoom
• ENVIRONMENT: Council nixes appraisal of Hemlock-Canadice land - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper The Duffy administration had hoped to hire a firm to appraise the city-owned land around Hemlock and Canadice Lakes. But last night City Council turned down his request, 5-2, citing concerns that in the future the city might want to sell the land. Mayor Bob Duffy has not said that he wants to let the land be developed, but some Councilmembers didn't buy the administration's argument that the city should at least be aware of the property's value. (April 18, 2007) Rochester City Newspaper
• City Council rejects watershed appraisal - Members wary of Hemlock, Canadice development — City Council rejected an administration request Tuesday to appraise the Hemlock and Canadice lakes watershed. Some members said they will not consider the question again unless development is off the table. Mayor Robert Duffy and his staff never have indicated an interest in development, but have said all options are being considered as the city reviews its water system. Deputy Mayor Patty Malgieri said that also meant having data necessary to review those options. (April 18, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• MPNnow.com: Rochester ready to deal on Hemlock, Canadice lakes Environmentalists think the city will sell its watershed lands to the state, though Mayor Duffy won't rule anything out. CANADICE — All options are still on the table as the cash-poor city of Rochester decides whether to sell the last wild Finger Lakes. The Rochester City Council meets tonight to act on Mayor Robert Duffy's request that it hire a firm to appraise the 7,100 acres it owns around Canadice and Hemlock lakes. All development has been banned there since it became the source of the city's water in the early 20th century, keeping the shores uncluttered and the waters pure. (April 17, 2007) Messenger Post Newspapers
• Hemlock, Canadice proposal defended - Appraisals of waterfront land will keep all city options open  — City Hall insists a plan to appraise the watershed properties surrounding Hemlock and Canadice lakes does not indicate a plan to sell the land to developers. Rather, it is the first step in an effort to place a dollar value on the entire water system, which is needed information as the city continues to evaluate the system's future, Deputy Mayor Patty Malgieri said. One possible outcome is that the state buys the last two undeveloped Finger Lakes and creates a permanent preserve. (April 15, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Pitting lakes vs. water needs- As county, city talk merger, our resource may lose protection— The systems that allow hundreds of thousands of Rochester-area residents to tap into one of their most precious resources — clean water — may soon be overhauled. And that could determine the fate of two pristine Finger Lakes. (December 17, 2006) Democrat & Chronicle:
• Future of Two Finger Lakes in Question - 13WHAM.com Whether Hemlock Lake in Livingston County and Canadice Lake in Ontario County remain the last Finger Lakes untouched by anything more than Mother Nature could be decided by next year. (March 3, 07) 13WHAM.com
• City, Water Authority to talk about future — Monroe County Water Authority and Rochester officials are scheduled to begin discussions this month that will shape the future of both water systems. City officials and Water Authority officials say all options are on the table — including consolidation. But Mayor Robert Duffy said this week that the city would want a greatly restructured authority board before it can agree to a merged system. (February 9, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle

Resources on this issue:

• GORP - Canadice Lake - Finger Lakes This three mile long and about 1/2 mile wide lake is part of the watershed that provides the city of Rochester, N.Y., with clean water. Rochester privately owns the land around the lake. Each year it issues about 10,000 free permits to use the lake and surrounding area.
• Canadice Lake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Nature Conservancy in New York - Central & Western: Hemlock and Canadice Lakes Of the eleven Finger Lakes, Hemlock Lake and Canadice Lake are the only two whose shorelines are undeveloped. In the early 1900s, the City of Rochester acquired the land around them in order to secure its water supply. Today, the City owns 7,100 acres of land around the two lakes. A filtration plant at the north end of Hemlock Lake filters and purifies water before it is piped to Rochester.
• Environmental Protection Agency Waterbody Name: CANADICE LAKE
• New York State Federation of Lakes Associations, Inc. The New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) is a statewide, volunteer-based organization. It is the umbrella group of local lake associations and anyone interested in issues related to New York's lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, rivers and related surface water resources. The Federation membership includes lake associations, lake property owners, environmental organizations, individuals, state and local government agencies. More than 200 lake associations throughout New York State are actively involved in NYSFOLA and our membership is growing annually.
• The Nature Conservancy in New York - Central & Western: Hemlock and Canadice Lakes
• Hemlock Lake, N.Y.
• NYSDEC Region 8 / Hemlock Lake
• Hemlock Trees  Should we cut old growth trees in Hemlock? Important Rochester-area Concern: Grab this week's City (Greater Rochester's Alternative Newsweekly, Volume 31, Number 7, November 7-13, 2001) Pg. 6 What In The Blazes, Hemlock Lake And The Loggers. by Jack Bradigan Spula. In order to understand completely the issue surrounding the old growth forest trees that the city owns around Hemlock Lake and the questions as to whether or not to cull them, you must read this article.
• Hemlock Lake How to get there: From Rochester take Route 15A south passing through the village of Hemlock. Turn right on Rix Hill Road approximately one mile south of intersection of Route 15A with Route 20A. Immediately turn left off of Rix Hill Road onto East Lake Road. Approximately 1.1 miles from turn off onto East Lake Road is the boat launch.
• Hemlock Water Filtration Rochester Upland Water Supply system includes Hemlock Lake and Canadice Lake. The City owns over 7,000 acres of land in the watershed surrounding these two lakes. Public access to the property for recreational purposes is permitted, but regulated to protect the quality of these drinking water source.

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