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• 1 media/85.1003.0114.jpg 2018-07-12T17:20:46-07:00 The Allegheny Reservoir 26 The reservoir has altered the landscape, ecosystem, and our interactions with Ohi:yo. image_header 777059 2018-08-24T15:46:26-07:00 The Allegheny Reservoir is the water reserves from the Kinzua Dam blocking Ohi:yo. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the U.S. and covers a third of our land on our Allegany Territory.
  
  The reservoir fluctuates on a seasonal basis. During summer, water covers our land that we have used for generations. In fall, much of the water reserves are lowered at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  
  As the reservoir is gradually brought down to winter pool elevation it leaves behind vast tracts of land. The mudflats that are left behind are a reminder of the land that was lost and show the continued impacts, such as erosion and sedimentation.
  
  At times of water storage the water depth of the river channel is approximately 26 feet, with as little as 6 to 8 feet of water during the winter months.
  
  The seasonal lowering and emptying of the water reserves within the reservoir leave our inundated land exposed and unprotected to weather elements for part of the year. This annual exposure makes it difficult for natural vegetation to grow, which acts as a barrier to erosion caused in part by the frequent water-level fluctuations. Our native plants that grow along Ohi:yo' are also culturally important. Some plant species, such as sassafras, are used by our Seneca people for medicinal purposes.
  
  Significant loss of our river's banks has been observed since the creation of the reservoir, which is likely a result of the frequent water level fluctuations, stream direction and velocities, wave action, and geological conditions.
  
  In addition, the emptying of the reservoir in fall creates areas of landlocked water that trap fish, leading to mass fish kills.
  
  Our Seneca people living on the Seneca Nation's Allegany Territory were not the only Seneca people directly affected by building Kinzua. The Cornplanter Grant located in Pennsylvania was also inundated, leaving Chief Cornplanter's heirs without their communities, their homes, and their land.
• 1 2018-07-25T22:05:23-07:00 Ohi:yo' Restoration and Resiliency Projects 20 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. plain 788140 2018-08-27T01:23:30-07:00

  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. The restoration and resiliency projects were made possible by a U.S. Department of the Interior Hurricane Sandy Grant, which was awarded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

  Artificial Habitat

  The seasonal lowering and emptying of the water reserves within the reservoir leave our inundated land exposed and unprotected to weather elements for part of the year. This annual exposure makes it difficult for natural vegetation to grow, which acts as a barrier to erosion but is also habitat to our fish within our river.
  
  The Seneca Nation's Fish and Wildlife Department creates artificial habitat to provide the needed environment, shelter, and food for fry and young of year fish, such as the Walleye.
  
  Some of the artificial habitat is made from recycled Christmas trees, which are tied in bundles of three or four and weighed down with cinder blocks. The Nation's Fish and Wildlife Department places this type of artificial habitat in areas identified for spawning and nursing fish, such as Yellow Perch, Crappie, Walleye, and White Bass.
  In certain areas wooden structures are also placed to help prevent erosion. The Christmas trees are then tied to the wooden structures to help prevent sediment buildup. Recycled cement rubble that has been removed from local construction projects is also bordered around nursery areas, again to provide shelter and food for young of year fish.
  
  Artificial habitat is also made from recycled vinyl siding that ranges in size from one and a half to three feet in height, which is done to provide a more diverse artificial environment.
  
   

  Land Locked Fish and Trenches

  The draining of the reservoir in fall in combination with the sediment buildup that covers spawning and nursery areas leaves many areas of landlocked water that fish get trapped in, leading to mass fish kills. 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.
  
  The Seneca Nation of Indian's Fish and Wildlife Department works to combat erosion and the mass loss of landlocked fish by building artificial habitat and digging trenches in the bottom of the Reservoir. During the winter months maintenance to the trenches dug in years past is done.
  

  Mapping the Restoration Projects

  The Seneca Nation's Geographic Information Services (G.I.S.) Department has helped document and track the various restoration projects related to our river.