Canal Corporation Announces Dredging of Frankfort Harbor Complete

ALBANY, NY (11/25/2009)(readMedia)-- The New York State Canal Corporation today announced the successful completion of dredging operations in the navigation channel in Frankfort Harbor in Herkimer County to restore the harbor's navigable channel to 13 feet depth.

Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello said, "By dredging Frankfort Harbor, boats of all sizes will now be able to access the scenic waterfront and the many amenities that Frankfort offers, leading to a boost in tourism and economic development for the village. The Canal Corporation is pleased to have worked with the Village of Frankfort to make the dredging of the harbor a reality."

Village of Frankfort Mayor Frank M. Morocco said, "With the dredging nearly completed at the Frankfort Harbor, we look forward to the 2010-2011 season with great expectation. Plans are underway as we speak with activities scheduled for next season. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Canal Corporation Director Carmella Mantello and all of her people for the hard work they have done and look forward to working with her in the near future."

The dredging operation in Frankfort Harbor began on Thursday, October 22, 2009 and was conducted utilizing the Canal Corporation's Hydraulic Dredge #6. During the operation, the Canal Corporation removed approximately 35,000 cubic yards which was deposited in the Canal Corporation's disposal site west of the harbor entrance.

The hydraulic dredging process is similar to the working of a household vacuum cleaner. Sediment is removed from the canal floor with water as the transport medium as it moves through a pipeline. The slurry of water and sediment is deposited into an approved disposal site where, over the course of time, the sediment settles out and the clarified water returns to the canal.

Maintenance of the Canal's chartered channel depths ensure the safety of canal users and enables shippers to fully realize the potential of commercial shipping via the Canal System. In addition to commercial craft, historic vessels and larger recreational vessels especially sailboats require a deep channel in order to navigate the waterway.

The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.

The New York State Canal Corporation is a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority (Authority). Since 1992, following State legislation transferring the Canal System from the New York State Department of Transportation to the Authority, Canal operating and maintenance activities have been supported by Thruway toll revenue.

For boating information, vacation opportunities and news about the New York State Canal System, please visit www.nyscanals.gov or call 1-800-4CANAL4.

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The New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major incidents and emergencies that may affect travel on the Thruway or navigation on the Canal System. To sign up for the Canal TRANSalert service, customers can visit the Corporation's website at www.nyscanals.gov/tas/. To sign-up for Thruway TRANSalerts please visit the Authority's website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.

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