Projects and Activities | Oneida County

The Sauquoit Creek Basin Intermunicipal Commission was officially formed in 2004 to look for ways to reduce flooding and its associated damages along the 26-mile Sauquoit Creek and the surrounding basin. Over the years, the Commission has been able to complete some significant projects by working with other partnering agencies totaling over $5 million dollars. This has been done with in-kind services of shared equipment and personnel, monetary contributions from member municipalities, partnerships with other agencies and grant awards.

Recent highlights

Palmers Creek Bank Stabilization project on a property located on Oneida Street in the Hamlet of Washington Mills in New Hartford was completed in late 2014. Palmers Creek tributary is located approximately 800 feet upstream from its confluence with Sauquoit Creek. The impacted property needed both aesthetic enhancements and slope stability improvements as a result of flooding that eroded the banks and threatened the business located on the property. Cost with grant money and member contributions was $145,000.
CSX Tracks Channel clearing and pipe installation project is located at the railroad bridge crossing located over the Sauquoit Creek in the Village of Whitesboro. This was a cooperative project between SCBIC and CSX Railroad in 2014. CSX Railroad funded the $2 million engineering and construction project that has provided some flood relief for the citizens and business owners in Oneida County at the lower reaches of the Sauquoit Creek Watershed. The project stabilized the railroad bridge crossing and has allowed water to more quickly flow to the Mohawk River during high-water events in the lower reaches of the Sauquoit Creek.
In 2013, the SCBIC used in-kind shared serves to construct a berm in the Village of New York Mills along New Hartford Street to control over bank flooding of the Sauquoit Creek. The estimated cost if contractors were used instead of shared municipal labor would have been over $100,000.
The SCBIC was recipient of workers and equipment for 5 months in 2012 through the National Emergency Grant and NYS Department of Labor to repair and clean the entire Sauquoit Creek and its associated tributaries. Employees were acquired from the New York State Department of Labor, trained by New Hartford Department of Public Works on safe operation of equipment, and supervised by municipalities to complete the local storm cleanup. Employees were provided with Personal Protective Equipment to perform the jobs required by their supervisor under the terms of this grant. The value of the labor and equipment over the 5 month project was over $800,000.
Below are pictures of some this work over the years.

Clearing of Channels at CSX Tracks Whitesboro 2008