Hatching an Idea on the Old Canal
Hatching an Idea
By: Billy Byline
The sight of concrete blocks at Wemp's Basin and Yankee Hill Lock often lead to questions by curious visitors to Schoharie Crossing. Well, there is a wonderfully simple article published in the Friday, May 8th, 1918 newspaper, The Sun, that sheds light on these post canal intrusions.
That article is transcribed here:
“In these days when junk can only be measured in the figures of King Midas a fish breeding experiment that may have important results is being tried out in portions of the State's abandoned canals. The Conservation Commission, in cooperation with the State Engineer and the Superintendent of Public Works, has selected two sections of the old Erie and Champlain canals where large numbers of food and game fishes may be reared.
Two small portions of these abandoned canals will provide six times the area for pond cultural operations that is now available at all the twelve State hatcheries. The three departments are cooperating to make the available appropriation of $10,000 go as far as is possible. The parts of the canals to be used are now of no value except for the purpose of protection against damage by flood.
How great is the opportunity is seen from the fact that the State has, in these abandoned canals, a site exceeding in area all the ponds for similar work now under the control of the United States Bureau of Fisheries.
The economy of the project is shown by contrasting the cost of a series of ponds of from a half to two acres in area with the cost of a well-built pond cultural station, estimated to be between $25,000 and $100,000. The great value of these abandoned canals is that unlimited ponds can be constructed with no cost for excavation and only moderate expense for adapting them to fish culture.
George D. Pratt, the Conservation Commissioner, points out that the Champlain Canal can readily be dammed and then filled by gravity with Hudson River water through an old canal feeder. Facilities for draining the section can also be easily provided. By building dams where old locks 28 and 29 now stand, a stretch of the old Erie Canal near Amsterdam, can be filled from Schoharie Creek by means of an old feeder, and the feeder itself can be made into another pond.
Large mouth and small mouth black bass, most popular fish with the angler, can be propagated on a scale never before dreamed of in this country, and calico bass, crappie, bream and catfish may be readily reared. Yellow perch, the pride of the boy and girl, can be hatched by the million and grown to fingerlings and then distributed. With so much space afforded, perhaps the pike perch, so popular that it has half a dozen names, will not be as destructive of its brothers and sisters as it is now, for there will be greater possibilities of escape. The return on $10,000 should be large in increased food fish supply, but it will be manifold in bringing health and pleasure to New York's millions.”
Two small portions of these abandoned canals will provide six times the area for pond cultural operations that is now available at all the twelve State hatcheries. The three departments are cooperating to make the available appropriation of $10,000 go as far as is possible. The parts of the canals to be used are now of no value except for the purpose of protection against damage by flood.
How great is the opportunity is seen from the fact that the State has, in these abandoned canals, a site exceeding in area all the ponds for similar work now under the control of the United States Bureau of Fisheries.
The economy of the project is shown by contrasting the cost of a series of ponds of from a half to two acres in area with the cost of a well-built pond cultural station, estimated to be between $25,000 and $100,000. The great value of these abandoned canals is that unlimited ponds can be constructed with no cost for excavation and only moderate expense for adapting them to fish culture.
George D. Pratt, the Conservation Commissioner, points out that the Champlain Canal can readily be dammed and then filled by gravity with Hudson River water through an old canal feeder. Facilities for draining the section can also be easily provided. By building dams where old locks 28 and 29 now stand, a stretch of the old Erie Canal near Amsterdam, can be filled from Schoharie Creek by means of an old feeder, and the feeder itself can be made into another pond.
Large mouth and small mouth black bass, most popular fish with the angler, can be propagated on a scale never before dreamed of in this country, and calico bass, crappie, bream and catfish may be readily reared. Yellow perch, the pride of the boy and girl, can be hatched by the million and grown to fingerlings and then distributed. With so much space afforded, perhaps the pike perch, so popular that it has half a dozen names, will not be as destructive of its brothers and sisters as it is now, for there will be greater possibilities of escape. The return on $10,000 should be large in increased food fish supply, but it will be manifold in bringing health and pleasure to New York's millions.”
– The Sun (newspaper), Friday, May 8, 1918
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