Oriskany Creek Watershed Sediment & Debris Management Study Released

County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announced today that a sediment and debris management study commissioned by the Oriskany Creek Watershed Commission has identified several strategies to mitigate flooding.

“This comprehensive flood study addresses the impacts and root causes where sediment and debris build-up contribute to flooding risk along Oriskany Creek and identifies and evaluates mitigation strategies,” Picente said. “One of its primary goals is to reduce flooding by lowering surface water elevations caused by undersized infrastructure, excessive deposition and debris, uncontrolled sediment sources, head cutting or downcutting of the channel and loss of natural floodplains.”

Oriskany Creek, a tributary to the Mohawk River located in Oneida and Madison counties, is approximately 33.5 miles long with a drainage area of 147 miles. The headwaters flow south then east/northeast through Madison County and the Towns of Stockbridge and Madison. Oriskany Creek enters Oneida County in the Village of Oriskany Falls and Town of Augusta flowing north/northeast then continues through the Towns of Marshall, Kirkland, Westmoreland, and Whitestown before emptying into the Mohawk River.

The watershed suffers from both open water flooding and erosion and sedimentation issues in different reaches along its path. Open water flooding is primarily associated with undersized infrastructure crossing the waterway (i.e., roads and railroads) creating hydraulic pinch points, which cause backwater flooding. Several locations were identified in the study as being susceptible to open water flooding, including:

• In the vicinity of Van Hyning Road, downstream of Oriskany Falls
• At the Norton Avenue Bridge in Kirkland
• Along Valley Road in Whitestown
• In the vicinity of the Little League field in Oriskany
• In the vicinity of Dugway and Lumbard roads near the confluence of Turkey Creek in Clinton

Erosion and sedimentation are naturally occurring processes that can be exacerbated by human activities within the floodplain. When this process is disrupted or imbalanced, erosion can severely degrade banks and contribute sediment and woody debris to downstream areas of Oriskany Creek that can restrict channel and infrastructure flow capacities. The study identified the following areas with bank erosion and/or sediment deposition:

• Downstream of the dam in Whitestown adjacent to Oriskany
• Right bank downstream of Valley Road in Whitestown
• Downstream of NY-5 in Kirkland
• Downstream of Norton Avenue in Kirkland in the vicinity of the Skenandoa Golf Club
• In the vicinity of College Street in Kirkland

The study broke the Oriskany Creek watershed out into five zones and proposed the following flood mitigation and stream stabilization strategies:

• Zone 1 - Town of Madison
  • Removal of Madison Power Company Dam upstream of Solsville Road
• Zone 2 - Town of Augusta/Village of Oriskany Falls
  • Removal of in-channel piers upstream of Division Street
  • Floodplain bench upstream of Division Street
• Zone 3 - Town of Marshall
  • Restore hydraulic capacity of the NY-315 bridge along Oriskany Creek
• Zone 4 - Town of Kirkland
  • Increase hydraulic capacity of the NY-5 bridge along Oriskany Creek
  • Remove Clarks Mills Dam
  • Remove abandoned railroad bridge downstream of Main Street
• Zone 5 – Town of Whitestown
  • Removal of Oriskany Falls Dam (Alternative #5-2)

The Oriskany Creek Watershed Sediment & Debris Management Study was conducted by Ramboll in cooperation with the Oneida County Department of Planning and its Flood Mitigation Grant Program. Following a meeting with all stakeholders on November 16, 2023, field data collection took place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2023, and again on July 29, 2024. The full report can be accessed here.

The findings of the report will be presented to the public at the Oriskany Creek Watershed Commission meeting at 4:30 p.m. on August 15 at the Waterville Village Offices located at 122 Barton Avenue.