At the Budget Committe meeting on November 7th, the Chemung County Legislature received an Update from Mark Watts, Director of Natural Resources for the Chemung County Soil and Water Conservation District on the Bentley Creek Watershed Plan.
The plan includes a series of dikes, levees, and flood control projects that would prevent future flooding of the Village of Wellsburg by Bentley Creek. The Bentley Creek project was first proposed in 1965. The project’s projected cost is approximately 5.6 million and includes Bradford County in Pennsylvania and Chemung County in New York.
The cost of the portion of the project in Chemung County is approximately 3.2 million and is located in the Village of Wellsburg, Town of Ashland. The next steps in the process are: Step #1: Confirmation sponsor concur with draft EA Plan
Chemung Co. SWCD – Move forward
Bradford Co. SWCD – Move forward
Village of Wellsburg – Move Forward
Town Of Ashland –
Bradford Co. Commissioners –
Chemung Co. Legislature – Move forward
Step #2: Advertise in local paper on finding of no significant impact on the environment
Step #3: Hold an open house during the 30-day public comment period
Step #4: If comments – answer them. No comments – move forward to sign plan with sponsors.
Step #5: NRCS Chief signs plan.
Step #6: Lobby for federal funding to implement project if sponsors choose to.
“This project is very important to the future of flood control in the Village of Wellsburg. The devastation that occured in the flood of September 2011 cannot continue to happen and devastate the village any longer. Action needs to be taken to get this project approved and get the neccesary fundng for this project so the work can be done to protect the people of Wellsburg,” said Chemung County Legislator Rodney J. Strange