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Reclaiming Ohi:yo'- Restoring the Altered Landscape of the Beautiful River Ohi:yo' Restoration and Resiliency Projects Members of the Seneca Nation's Watershed Resources Working Group are involved in various restoration and resiliency projects for our Ohi:yo'. The Seneca Nation's Fish and Wildlife Department in particular engages in projects related to building artificial habitat, repopulating our river's Walleye population, and building trenches to help land locked fish. Fighting for the Water: Fracking Wastewater in Ohi:yo' In 2016 the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) began deliberating a 1,000-barrel/day of unconventional gas drilling wastewater (Frack Wastewater) disposal facility in Potter County proposed by Epiphany Allegheny LLC. In response to the news of these fracking plans, our Seneca people again fought for our people, our communities, and our Ohi:yo'.

The Allegheny Reservoir

The Allegany Reservoir is the water reserves from the Kinzua Dam blocking Ohi:yo'. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the U.S. and is made up of a third of our land that was once part of our Allegany Territory.

The reservoir on our Territory is seasonal: ohi:yo' floods its banks every Spring to Fall. During Summer, water covers our land that we have used for generations.

The reservoir has altered the landscape, ecosystem, and our interactions with ohi:yo'.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/allegheny/recarea/?recid=82073

https://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/missions/recreation/lakes/kinzua-dam-allegheny-reservoir/

https://sni.org/government/territories/

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/allegheny/recarea/?recid=6085

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4. River in Winter
6. Erosion at Highbanks Near Highbanks Campground Come Fall of every year, much of the bottom of the Reservoir has begun to dry up as the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This seasonal lowering and emptying of the water reserves held within the reservoir leaves the land exposed and unprotected to weather elements, which in combination with the water fluctuations throughout the year, expediates the erosion of the shorelines and banks of Ohi:yo'. In addition, many of the shorelines along Ohi:yo' lack the needed plant growth, such as trees, to protect them from erosion. Pictured here is a wide shot that includes the Highbanks Campgrounds of the erosion along the shoreline of Ohi:yo'. The construction of Kinzua Dam and the Allegany Reservoir was completed in December of 1965. Seneca Nation of Indian land within the Allegany Territory that was inundated with the construction of the Allegany Reservoir is only underwater for part of the year. Come Fall of every year, much of the bottom of the Reservoir has begun to dry up as the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This seasonal lowering and emptying of the water reserves held within the reservoir leaves the land exposed and unprotected to weather elements, which in combination with the water fluctuations throughout the year, expediates the erosion of the shorelines and banks of Ohi:yo'. In addition, many of the shorelines along Ohi:yo' lack the needed plant growth, such as trees, to protect them from erosion. Pictured here is a wide shot that includes the Highbanks Campgrounds of the erosion along the shoreline of Ohi:yo'.
7. The Walleye Fish Hatchery

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The construction of Kinzua Dam in Warren, Pennsylvania was completed in December of 1965. Kinzua Dam is a combination concrete gravity structure and a rolled-earth embankment dam. This photograph was taken from the downstream viewpoint and captures the construction progress of the concrete gravity sructural portion of the dam (which will be between two large earth embankments that flanked it on either side not shown here). The right abutment (located far left) appears to have been completed.
Members of the Seneca Nation stopped at the construction site of Kinzua Dam on their way to the Cornpanter Grant. Senecas in the photograph can be seen wearing components of Plains Indian regalia, which was worn throughout many of the photographs of the Kinzua Era as a way to bring attention to the issue and be seen as identifiably "indian" by the American public. Identified in the photograph, Front to back, right to left: Harry Watt (center), Myra Watt, Fred Claflin, Gert Claflin, Darla Claflin, Butch Claflin, Walter Jimerson, Dorothy Jimerson, Gordon Jimerson, Ron Jimerson, Effie Johnson, and Boyd Johnson. September 15, 1962 was declared "American Indian Day" by New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller, most likely in response to the controversy surrounding the building of Kinzua Dam. Members of the Seneca Nation of Indians, Society of Friends, and Congress gathered at the Cornplanter Monument located on the Cornplanter Grant in Warren County, Pennsylvania to mourn and remember Chief Cornplanter and the land that makes up the Cornplanter Grant. The Cornplanter Monument and the Cornplanter Grant were both named in honor of Chief Cornplanter, one of the signers of the Canandaigua Treaty and a very esteemed member of the Senecas; if Kinzua Dam was completed the Allegany Reservoir would completely submerge the Cornplanter Grant. Members of the Seneca Nation stopped at the construction site of Kinzua Dam on their way to the Cornpanter Grant. Senecas in the photograph can be seen wearing components of Plains Indian regalia, which was worn throughout many of the photographs of the Kinzua Era as a way to bring attention to the issue and be seen as identifiably "indian" by the American public. Identified in the photograph, Front to back, right to left: Harry Watt (center), Myra Watt, Fred Claflin, Gert Claflin, Darla Claflin, Butch Claflin, Walter Jimerson, Dorothy Jimerson, Gordon Jimerson, Ron Jimerson, Effie Johnson, and Boyd Johnson.
Seneca Nation of Indian land within the Allegany Territory that was inundated with the construction of the Allegany Reservoir is only underwater for part of the year. Come Fall of every year, much of the bottom of the Reservoir has begun to dry up as the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The exposure to weather and the water fluctuations throughout year expediate the erosion of natural habitat and shoreline and sediment accumulation. Sediment levels within the reservoir have built to the point where spawning and nursery areas are covered, leaving many of the fish species land locked when the annual drawdown for the winter months begins. Once landlocked, tens of thousands of young of year fish die because of oxygen degradation, predation, and water evaporation. The Seneca Nation of Indian's Fish and Wildlife Department works to combat mass fish kills by digging trenches that lead out of those landlocked areas. During the winter months maintenance to the trenches dug in years past is done. The water levels of the landlocked area depicted in the photograph have become too low for fish to use the trench.
Sediment levels within the reservoir have built to the point where spawning and nursery areas are covered, leaving many of the fish species land locked when the annual drawdown for the winter months begins. Once landlocked, tens of thousands of young of year fish die because of oxygen degradation, predation, and water evaporation. Fish species affected by land locking are Crappie, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Channel Catfish, Walleye, Bullhead, Small Mouth Bass, Large Mouth Bass, White Bass, Yellow Perch, and Paddlefish. Seneca Nation of Indian land within the Allegany Territory that was inundated with the construction of the Allegany Reservoir is only underwater for part of the year. Come Fall of every year, much of the bottom of the Reservoir has begun to dry up as the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The exposure to weather and the water fluctuations throughout year expediate the erosion of natural habitat and shoreline and sediment accumulation. Sediment levels within the reservoir have built to the point where spawning and nursery areas are covered, leaving many of the fish species land locked when the annual drawdown for the winter months begins. Once landlocked, tens of thousands of young of year fish die because of oxygen degradation, predation, and water evaporation. Fish species affected by land locking are Crappie, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Channel Catfish, Walleye, Bullhead, Small Mouth Bass, Large Mouth Bass, White Bass, Yellow Perch, and Paddlefish.
Come Fall of every year, much of the bottom of the Reservoir has begun to dry up as the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This seasonal lowering and emptying of the water reserves held within the reservoir leaves the land exposed and unprotected to weather elements, which in combination with the water fluctuations throughout the year, expediates the erosion of the shorelines and banks of Ohi:yo'. In addition, many of the shorelines along Ohi:yo' lack the needed plant growth, such as trees, to protect them from erosion. Pictured here is a wide shot that includes the Highbanks Campgrounds of the erosion along the shoreline of Ohi:yo'. The construction of Kinzua Dam and the Allegany Reservoir was completed in December of 1965. Seneca Nation of Indian land within the Allegany Territory that was inundated with the construction of the Allegany Reservoir is only underwater for part of the year. Come Fall of every year, much of the bottom of the Reservoir has begun to dry up as the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This seasonal lowering and emptying of the water reserves held within the reservoir leaves the land exposed and unprotected to weather elements, which in combination with the water fluctuations throughout the year, expediates the erosion of the shorelines and banks of Ohi:yo'. In addition, many of the shorelines along Ohi:yo' lack the needed plant growth, such as trees, to protect them from erosion. Pictured here is a wide shot that includes the Highbanks Campgrounds of the erosion along the shoreline of Ohi:yo'.
This downstream view of the Allegany River Valley from the top of the nearly completed Kinzua Dam shows the upper-most portion of the Allegany Reservoir beginning to fill for the first time. The Allegany Reservoir, created from Kinzua Dam blocking the flow of the Allegany River, flooded the best lands of the Seneca Nation of Indian's Allegany Territory, two-thirds of which was usable land, and completely flooded the Cornplanter Grant in Warren county, Pennsylvania. The Allegany Territory is located in a valley surrounded by steep hillsides and the land inundated by the Allegany Reservoir was the flattest portions, which was most conducive to living and farming on. Original Caption by Ted Hetzel: "Making a Dam". Up until the "Kinzua Era", many Senecas were subsistence farmers, a lifestyle that gradually ended once the dam was built.