The state of New York delivered an early Christmas gift to Cayuga County residents on Monday. The county learned it will receive approximately $1.2 million in grant funding for water quality improvement projects.
The $197 million in grants were awarded to support projects that will help protect drinking water, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and improve aquatic habitat in communities statewide.
The local projects awarded funding include:
- $400,000 to the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District to complete a shoreline stabilization project to stabilize and protect 3,000 feet of shoreline in the Towns of Springport and Aurelis. The project will reduce erosion and nutrient loading to Cayuga Lake.
- $600,000 to the Town of Scipio to replace an undersized and leaking salt storage structure with a new storage building. The new building will protect groundwater within a principal aquifer and Salmon Creek.
- $252,436 to Ducks Unlimited Inc. to restore a wetland in the Owasco Flats Wildlife Management Area near the Town of Moravia. The project will provide habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, help mitigate flood impacts downstream, and improve water quality.
“Every person deserves access to clean water—which is why New York is implementing a comprehensive strategy to fund infrastructure upgrades and replacement and other generational investments that ensure the long-term protection of water bodies,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Focusing on environmental justice communities that have long borne the brunt of environmental pollution helps further support historically overlooked communities as we help safeguard their health for generations to come.”
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here
