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Grand Island officials press DEC for clearer permitting as Woods Creek, Buckhorn silt up
Summary
Town supervisors and conservation advisers described advancing siltation, blocked channels and repeated permit delays that they say are worsening flooding on Grand Island. Officials say they have submitted multiple permit applications but lack a definitive response from the state DEC about a downstream restoration strategy.
Supervisor Pete briefed the Grand Island Conservation Advisory Board on August 28, saying the town's creeks are silting and that the last-mile stretch through Buckhorn is largely impassable, worsening flood risk for neighborhoods.
Pete said crews and volunteers have documented trees rooted in creek beds and extensive sedimentation that prevent flow. "We're trying to at least restore it to where it used to be because we based all our stormwater models and all that on those things working and now they're not," he said.
Why it matters: board members said the clogged channels reduce the island's ability to drain during storms and raise the likelihood of yards and streets flooding. Witness accounts and drone video were described as showing water overtopping banks, submerged vehicles and isolated properties with several feet of standing water.
What officials say they have done: Pete said the town has engaged the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and State Parks staff, and has filed multiple permit applications including stream-disturbance and wetland permits. He told the board the town has three permit submissions in process and initially sought local permits for 100-foot restoration segments but that those short reaches would not address the broader downstream constraint that prevents drainage.
Board discussion and obstacles: board members and Pete described mixed messages from state reviewers. Pete said that at least one DEC representative told the town "you guys got a real problem here," while other responses reportedly suggested the agency would not permit work in some areas. Town members noted DEC staff have requested restoration plans that show proposed dredge elevations and replanting prescriptions; those restoration requirements — and the cost to replant after sediment removal — are possible hurdles to approval.
Next steps: Pete said he would continue to press State Parks and DEC, provide drone footage to the advisory board, and work with local contacts, including a person named Bob Westfall, to prepare permit-quality engineering and restoration plans intended to address DEC concerns starting at the river and working upstream.
Ending: Board members asked to receive Pete's video and supporting documents and expect future updates on permit status and any formal DEC responses.
