NORWICH – Pending approval from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the city Department of Public Works could be doing an extensive amount of work along some of the crumbling banks of Canasawacta Creek on the city’s south side.

In 2005, Public Works Superintendent Carl Ivarson applied to the DEC for permission to do work on the eroding banks of the creek beginning from the south side Route 12 bridge and moving along the back edge of South Broad Street Park, but his request was denied. A second request was made in 2009 and again, the DEC and the New York State Corps of Engineers denied it.

“The bank is actually collapsing,” Ivarson said, stressing the need that work be done soon in order to maintain flow control in the creek. Though he noted that even with the extreme flooding in March, April and September 2011, the banks of the creek have not worsened much since his last application to the DEC, conditions in the creek are still an issue that need to be addressed.

According to Ivarson, the two previous denials for cleanup efforts are likely due to a change in the DEC’s criteria over the last two decades. He said prior to the mid 90s, DEC flood control issued permits for projects like the one he proposes for Canasawacta Creek; however, this permit is now issued by DEC fisheries and permit specifications are no longer the same.