Photos from the in-river work and associated support activities are provided in the photo gallery. Each photo includes a brief caption to describe the work shown.
2022 Construction
Habitat reconstruction efforts were completed in 2022 with final plantings installed along the shoreline in the shallow water areas. Over 9,000 plants from 9 different species were installed from May through October. Inspection and maintenance were also performed for those plants placed in 2020 and 2021. Wild rice seeds were also provided to and planted by SRMT. Habitat reconstruction is complete, and the areas will be monitored over time.
Cap repair work started in the small area impacted by the March 2022 ice jam that formed upstream of the Route 131 Bridge. Cap repairs included placing sand, gravel and/or cobble and activated carbon mix. A project update is available that provides additional details about the 2022 activities. Planning for additional cap repairs continued in 2023.
2021 Construction
The 2021 in-river work was completed in October. The work primarily included capping in the main channel downstream of the Route 131 bridge to the Grasse River mouth. There was also habitat reconstruction and associated material placement along with additional work near Snug Harbor including backfilling and limited removal in coordination with the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. A narrated presentation and community mailer were developed to provide more details about 2021 activities.
The habitat reconstruction efforts specifically included placement of habitat features including rock clusters, rootwads, and fish cribs to support habitat restoration and wildlife. A series of figures were developed to show the placement location for each of the features. The figures show the rock clusters as brown triangles, rootwads as black trees, large fish cribs as blue circles with a fish centered in the circle, and low profile fish cribs as yellow circles with a fish centered in the circle. Each of these features are described in more detail below.
Rock Clusters – Group of various sized stones are placed on the river bottom in a pile about 3-4 feet wide by 3 feet high. Stones are transported on barges and placed on the river bottom using an excavator.
Rootwads – Placement of a tree trunk with the partial root ball on the river bottom. The trees are anchored using concrete blocks or stone slabs. The trees and blocks are transported on barges and placed on the river bottom using an excavator.
Fish Cribs – Large cribs are constructed using 5 pallets to form a wooden structure with a flat bottom and sides (top photo). Low profile cribs are constructed using 2 pallets stacked on top of one another (bottom photo). Cinder blocks are placed inside of the structure to anchor the cribs. The fish cribs and blocks are transported on barges and placed on the river bottom using an excavator. Fish cribs are being placed at the direction of NYSDEC.
2020 Construction
The construction efforts for 2020 were completed in December. This includes completion of capping upstream of the Route 131 bridge, dredging at Snug Harbor, and initial habitat restoration and plantings. The 2020 efforts are summarized in the December project update.
The narrated presentation below provides an overview of the work completed in 2019, what was planned for 2020, and the measures taken during the 2020 project for protection of community health and safety.
Click to access a PDF of this presentation. This file includes the links to the resources and contacts mentioned in the presentation.
2019 Construction
The in-river portion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected remedy for the lower Grasse River began in 2019. The overall goal of the project is to reduce polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in fish and other organisms in the river for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. The remedy was issued in EPA's 2013 Record of Decision, and includes:
- Removal of targeted sediment from near shore areas of the river followed by the placement of clean backfill
- Placement of an armored cap in the main channel of the river between the Alcoa Bridge and the Route 131 Bridge
- Placement of a sand cap in the main channel of the river between the Route 131 Bridge and the confluence with the St. Lawrence River
- Excavation of targeted floodplain soil and backfilling with clean soil
- Habitat-related reconstruction work
Arconic selected J.F. Brennan as the contractor to implement the design plan. The construction efforts for 2019 included dredging in the near shore areas of the river, remediation of upland areas just upstream of the Alcoa bridge and the mouth of the Unnamed Tributary, backfilling and capping in the river, and reconstructing the near shore and floodplain areas. The 2019 efforts are summarized in the narrated video provided above.