Recreational Restoration

PCB contamination has resulted in fish consumption advisories (FCAs) on the St. Lawrence River, Bay at St. Lawrence (Franklin County line), Grasse River, and Massena Power Canal. These FCAs have adversely affected recreational fishing, reducing the number of fishing trips taken to this river system.

As described in the Alcoa Consent Decree, as compensation for lost recreational fishing trips from the Alcoa and Reynolds sites, Alcoa undertook, at the direction of the Trustees, a suite of five restoration projects that together will provide sufficient, additional recreational fishing opportunities of appropriate type and quality. Some of the GM settlement funds may be used for a sixth recreational fishing access project in or adjacent to Akwesasne.

Several of the sites are located at informal angler access points, thereby increasing the likelihood that the new/improved sites would receive substantial use. These projects are:

• Springs Park Boat Launch (complete),
• Lower Grasse River Boat Launch, intersection of Massena Point Road and Route 131 (complete),
• Lower Raquette River Boat Launch off of Route 37 east of Massena Center (complete),
• Upper Grasse River Boat Launch (complete),
• Middle Grasse River Boat Launch south of Route 131 (proposed),
• NEW! Akwesasne River Access site (proposed).
• NEW! Saint Lawrence Environment Trustee Council Restoration Plan Release
• NEW! Draft RP-EA Akwesasne Water Access Projects