NORWICH – The more than 121 miles of river located throughout Chenango County is a valuable yet still vastly underutilized recreational resource, according to area conservation groups, calling into question what can be done to promote one of the county’s greatest assets.

It is an ongoing issue environmental advocates hope to turn around with the help of a new publication geared toward fishing enthusiasts, boaters, and nature lovers that maps out the streams that span the county. The publication, “Recreational River Guide: A Guide to the Chenango, Unadilla, and Susquehanna Rivers,” was made available for the first time this month.

The book - a collaborative work from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Chenango County, Headwaters Youth Conservation Corps, and the Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District - lays out river sections, access locations, paddling difficulty, points of interest, and fishing information for all three major rivers that run through the county.

It has been more than two decades since such information was last updated, explained CCE Director Ken Smith, which has been an incredible disadvantage for tourists and hobbyists. The latest update is three years in the making, made possible by the financial support of NBT Bank, Mayhood’s Sporting Goods, Chobani, Cornell University, The Place, and Chenango County government, which footed $5,100 for the publication (approximately half the cost).