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).
“These rivers are one of the county’s natural resources for recreational activity and they are dramatically underused,” Smith said. “Every day, hundreds of people are traveling past us to places like Fulton County, where the rivers are crowded like highways, and the fishing is not as good ... People know these rivers are here but they don’t get the attention they need, which is bad news for the county.”
The book maps out detailed sections of the Unadilla, Chenango, and Susquehanna rivers that run from the north to south ends of the county. In addition, it labels the distance of various sections of the rivers for boaters and fishermen, the level of difficulty to travel it, places for parking and camping, and a brief description of what to expect along the way. It also lists bed and breakfasts and other inns located along all three rivers, along with hotels and motels, and places for fishing and tackle supplies.
“We are really hoping this book can help people in Chenango County to take advantage of one of our best recreational resources, that businesses along the river will see increased activity, and that our rivers will be better protected and preserved because they are better known and used.”
The Chenango County recreation river guide can be purchased for $5 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 99 N. Broad St., Norwich. It is also available at Commerce Chenango, 15 S. Broad St. in Norwich, or Mayhood’s Sporting Goods, 5217 State Highway 12, Norwich.