Chenango Canal Association
Seeks Equipment

The Chenango Canal Association (CCA) needs you to help us find a solution for the upkeep the trail along the summit of the Chenango Canal!

We have over 5 miles to keep clear and do not have the equipment we need. The trail is a rustic path and gets overgrown with honeysuckle, burdocks and grass. The honeysuckle would not have a chance to grow out of hand if we could mow the towpath every two-three weeks. The type of bush hog we need is equipped with a shear pin or a slip clutch in the transmission gear box.

Four miles of the towpath can be accessed by tractor at both entrances on Elm Street, Bouckville, halfway down Canal Road towards Hamilton where the old bridge used to be, and from the corner of Rt. 46. The rest of the towpath trail consists of a dirt road along Mosher’s farm south to Woodman’s Road. From Woodman’s Pond, the trail is grassy and mowed by the village of Hamilton.

We are fortunate to have Glenn Osterhout through Madison Central School helping us with their bush hog, but we are looking to ideally have our own equipment to help keep up with the plant growth. Please call Diane or Fran Van Slyke at 315-893-7910 if you know someone who is willing to donate or reduce the price of a bush hog and loan a tractor to keep the trail clear.

The Chenango Canal Towpath Trail is used frequently by fisherman, walkers and hikers, and is (thankfully!) ten degrees cooler in the shade. Ducks, geese and a blue heron are sighted frequently. Many species of song birds can be heard and trees that were gnawed by beaver can be seen. The northern end of the trail is covered with great pine trees and the cushioned path makes a comfortable walk.
The CCA saw the advantage to connect the trail to Oriskany Creek which is on the north end of the summit of the Chenango Canal. Four CCA Board members and members of the Madison FFA hand-cleared a twelve-foot wide path along the towpath until they literally ran up against a steep hill and came to a dead stop.
This five hundred feet of hill looks like what could have been the dredgings from the bottom of the canal when the NYS DOT kept the canal clear in the 1960s. It is not the way the original towpath was. What we need is the use of a bulldozer to be able to route the path around this obstacle until we can make arrangements to level the hill itself.

The CCA is appealing to you to see if anyone knows someone who may be willing to help us along with the right equipment to clear this part of the trail. Please call Fran or Diane Van Slyke.

Diane Van Slyke
President
Chenango Canal Association