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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'.

Trenches Dug for Landlocked Areas

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.

Media

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Version 5

resource	rdf:resource	https://scalar.usc.edu/works/ohiyo/media/fwd-004.5
versionnumber	ov:versionnumber	5
title	dcterms:title	Trenches Dug for Landlocked Areas
description	dcterms:description	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.
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created	dcterms:created	2018-08-03T16:36:19-07:00
type	rdf:type	http://scalar.usc.edu/2012/01/scalar-ns#Version
source	dcterms:source	Seneca Nation Fish & Wildlife Department
date	dcterms:date	2018-07-18
type	dcterms:type	stillimage
identifier	dcterms:identifier	FWD-004
subject	dcterms:subject	banks (landforms), rivers, erosion, independent sovereign nations, native peoples reservations, flood dams, gravity dams, rolled-fill dams,
contributor	dcterms:contributor	Seneca-Iroquois National Museum
language	dcterms:language	eng
abstract	dcterms:abstract	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.
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conforms to	dcterms:conformsTo	Record has been transformed into MODS from the original accession record. Metadata originally created in a locally modified version of qualified Dublin Core.
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coverage	dcterms:coverage	Allegany Reservation, Allegany (county), Kinzua Reservoir (reservoir)
creator	dcterms:creator	Shane Titus
creator	dcterms:creator	This record was created by Dana Reijerkerk.
extent	dcterms:extent	1 photograph
temporal	dcterms:temporal	2016-08-03

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1. Construction of Kinzua Dam: Downstream Vantage Point 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.
2. Cornplanter Grant Visit, Stop at Kinzua Dam 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.
3. Trenches Dug for Landlocked Areas 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.
4. Landlocked Fish Kills in the Allegany Reservoir 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.
5. Construction of Kinzua Dam: Upstream Vantage Point
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 Allegany Reservoir Beginning to Fill for the First Time 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.

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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. 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.