Gauge Gully study leads to land purchases and licensing to reduce erosion and flooding

Staff presented results of a hydrologic and hydraulic study covering 55 drainage areas from Gorham into Canandaigua Lake, singling out Gauge Gully and County Road 11 for persistent flooding. The recommended actions include purchasing about 20 acres from a local landowner to protect riparian corridor and a five-year license agreement with a landowner to convert 50 acres to hay, which staff said will reduce sediment loads and erosion during major storm events.

The council also reported a resilience grant application to the New York State Department of State (approximately $2.6 million) intended to acquire downstream land, create floodplain benching and upsize culverts to build more resiliency in the watershed. Staff emphasized these are mitigation measures to reduce impacts rather than eliminate them entirely.