Susquehanna Basin Water Trail Team Celebrates Grand Opening
By BILL BELLEN
COOPERSTOWN
With lake foam lapping against the shore and rain pelting down from above, the morning of Thursday, June 26 dawned dreary and damp. However, as one approached the water and looked out across Otsego Lake from Council Rock Park, a string of objects appeared to part the mist. From the haze began to emerge a group of… canoes?
This gathering of intrepid paddlers of all ages braved the waves in order to take part in the grand opening of the New York Susquehanna Basin Water Trail. The culmination of years of efforts from a myriad of organizations, this marks the fourth and newest organization of New York’s waterways into demarcated and navigable sources of recreation for tourists and locals alike.
Following in the footsteps of the New York State Canalway Water Trail and the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail, this new route traverses eight counties and covers 190 miles of river from its headwaters in Cooperstown to its final destination in Corning. Self-described as having 43 designated river communities along the way, 50 official access sites, and 11 preformed itineraries to guide travelers, the SBWT is touted as an ideal experience for both novice and masterful river goers.
Cassandra Harrington, team captain of the new water trail and president and chief executive officer of Destination Marketing Corporation, shared her thoughts on these metrics.
“Those itineraries include specific sections that we’ve deemed safe to paddle. And then there’s difficulty level and distance and specific hazards you might encounter between those two safe access points. And our trail in particular is actually on three different rivers. It’s the New York section of the Susquehanna, but then also meets the Chemung River and a small section of the Cohocton River… The water trail really just kind of helps connect users, paddlers, and recreational folks with the local river communities and amenities, like lodging, campgrounds, outfitters, and restaurants.”
The effort to make a New York portion of the Susquehanna water trail began decades ago in conjunction with other states that shared the river. While progress on Pennsylvania’s portion of the trail was made, ventures in New York stagnated as disagreements led what was supposed to be a seamless multi-state initiative to become a disjointed endeavor. Pennsylvania saw their trail’s official grand opening in 1998, with years of partnership and growth following. As time passed, it seemed that New York would not be able to catch up to the accomplishments of its southern neighbor.
Harrington pointed to anxiety surrounding the impacts the river has had on surrounding communities as a point of contention for some.
“Especially out west in the Corning area, the river has sometimes been a source of stress and anxiety because of flooding or of other challenges that they’ve had. And so we really wanted to change their viewing on the river [to see] it as a positive instead of what maybe they see right now and then, if they do, and if they utilize it as an opportunity to get out and be in nature and see the benefits of that, then a long ways down the road, perhaps that then turns into environmental stewardship. Perhaps then they are more interested in protecting the river and our water sources because they’re connected to it and they enjoy paddling on it,” Harrington said.
Luckily for what seemed to be the ill-fated dream of a New York Susquehanna water trail, Harrington was about to finally cobble together an effort that would tie everything together.
The plan began with a National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program Technical Grant. Using the funds and expertise of NPS employees, Harrington and her fledgling team were able to figure out a general direction they wanted to take the project in. Work continued bit-by-bit over the next few years, with a short hiatus during the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. As this initial grant began to run dry, COVID recovery funds to New York provided the opportunity for the state to issue Tourism Partner Sub-Awards Grants through its Economic Development Agency. The new funds this provided were put toward developing the water trail’s website as well as the actual formation of the trail itself. Passing a scrutinizing vetting process to find the most economically sound partner, 2K Design helped to realize this vision by conducting marketing research and figuring out the best way to raise trail publicity.
With regard to 2K’s work on the project, Harrington said, “They were very well versed in the formation of and promotion of water trails, especially within New York State. They had dealt with receiving state funding and so we chose 2K out of the six or eight companies that responded to our requests for proposals. And I’m 100 percent certain we chose the best people for the job. They have been absolutely incredible. They over delivered on everything that we had dreamt about. I had tears in my eyes when they unveiled the website for us. It was so magical.”
Throughout development of the water trail, the team was in constant contact with not only other canal and water trail networks within New York State, but their sister Susquehanna trail in Pennsylvania as well. This coordination allowed for signage, coding, and difficulty leveling to be standardized throughout the various waterways in order to promote consistency and ease of travel between them.
After years of work that many deemed impossible, the day came for the opening ceremony in Cooperstown. Following delays that prevented the trail opening this Memorial Day, the ceremony was rescheduled to National Canoe Day. Numerous media organizations gathered to document the event in both film and writing as those plucky paddlers began to line up for the ribbon cutting.
Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh was in attendance as an honored guest speaker. Sharing some of her thoughts on the importance of the event, she stated:
“It’s incredibly exciting. This is a treasure. Otsego Lake is one of the few natural resources that’s on the National Register…We love being the headwaters of the Susquehanna, which flows all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. It’s an incredible economic resource and natural resource. We’re excited that it’s going from Cooperstown to Corning. I’ve had family members who lived in the western part of the state, and we feel even more connected. I’m a kayaker, though I didn’t bring it today. And my husband loves to fish. And now this has been so developed that we can find wonderful little spots in over 40 communities in Upstate New York.”
Following some remarks from both Harrington and Tillapaugh, paddlers led by Brent Baysinger, owner of Portlandville’s Canoe and Kayak Rentals and Sales, began the approach to the ribbon. Seemingly matching the enthusiasm of the paddlers themselves jumping at the bit to open the trail, the wind picked up just in time to rip the ribbon from the hands of volunteers holding it on either bank of the river, blowing it into the chest of a victorious Baysinger. Applause and cheers followed, as the crowd celebrated decades of fruitless endeavors finally culminating into one special moment.
Despite the ill weather, the event was considered a resounding success for the water trail team. With the SBWT now officially open, the group is looking to promote the economic potential that this new recreational opportunity provides to the communities along its route. Since the storms surrounding the trail, both physically and metaphorically, are behind them, Harrington is looking ahead to a bright and prosperous future.
“With additional funding, we would love to expand our project footprint and go further up the other rivers, and perhaps include things like the Butternut Creek and other water sources, recreational water sources that didn’t quite have enough resources themselves in order to make the project so large. We had originally talked to TPAs all the way up into the Finger Lakes in Ithaca because, when you think about it, I mean, it’s all attached. So if they were to start at the canal and come down the lakes and get on another river and end up in what we currently have as the trail… There’s so much possibility, so we could be making ours larger in the future.”
Many staff and community members shared their thanks and gratitude to Harrington for her dedication over the years to realizing this vision, and helping to provide a mode for economic progress for dozens of affected communities. With a consistent drive to pursue new grant opportunities to provide further funding, and a commitment to both the environmental and recreational might of the river itself, the crew behind the Susquehanna Basin Water Trail is poised to continue its effort to support those along the route and the more than 100 stakeholders that have seen the potential of their accomplishment.
Those interested in the many amenities and experiences the water trail has to offer can visit paddle607.com for more information regarding all aspects of the trail.