REDI project in Jefferson County addresses flooding, turtle crossing

LYME, N.Y. — It was a project that sought to address a flooding problem and the safe passage for a threatened species of turtle.

Crews have completed construction work on a $5.4 million project awarded to Jefferson County through New York State’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI). 

The project addressed the flooding of an 1,800-foot section of County Route 57 and its shoulder, which falls between Chaumont Bay and Lake Ontario in the town of Lyme, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced. Crews also installed a culvert to create an underpass for safe passage of the Blanding’s turtle.

“High-water events” made travel on that highway difficult, requiring county highway department crews to “routinely monitor and periodically close, clear, and repair” the roadway, as it provides the only land access to the peninsula for area homes, Hochul’s office said. 

Resiliency measures implemented in this project included raising the vulnerable section of roadway three feet to mitigate potential flooding and halt further road deterioration. Additionally, rip rap was installed to provide wind, wave, and ice protection. 

“The County Route 57 project — also known as the Isthmus — epitomizes the REDI commission projects,” Jefferson County Chairperson Scott Gray said in a release. “It captures the essence of resiliency by raising the roadbed 3 feet and the seawalls a total of 8 feet to halt nearly annual washouts in high water conditions and accompanied danger of rocks catapulted by the high waves. This is a collaboration between Jefferson County and New York State that has served the public well and will ultimately save the taxpayer money.” 

Blanding’s turtle crossing

In coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), this project also includes a turtle crossing. 

The long stretch of road is bordered on both sides by sensitive wetland habitat with no crossing structures for the nearby population of Blanding’s turtles, Hochul’s office said. 

The Blanding’s turtle is a medium-sized turtle with an average shell length of about seven to nine inches and a maximum length of 10 inches, per the DEC website. A major feature that distinguishes this turtle from other species is its distinctive bright, solid yellow chin and throat.

The turtle is named after William Blanding, an early naturalist in Pennsylvania, per the website of the Nature Conservancy, an Arlington, Virginia–based environmental nonprofit.

The destruction of its nesting and wetland habitats is a “major challenge” for the Blanding’s turtle. Roads that cross turtle migration routes between wetlands and ponds where turtles hibernate — and upland areas where turtles nest — are “particularly hazardous to this species, as vehicle strikes are common,” the DEC said 

Loss of adult females by vehicle strikes is “likely the most significant cause” of population declines across the species’ range. Since Blanding’s turtles mature late and their populations depend on adults reproducing throughout their relatively long lifespan, the loss of even a single female can have a “major impact” on a population, per the DEC website.

About REDI 

In response to the “extended pattern of flooding” along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, REDI was created to increase the resilience of shoreline communities and bolster economic development in the region, per Hochul’s office. 

The state established five REDI regional planning committees to identify local priorities, at-risk infrastructure and other assets, and public-safety concerns. The REDI committees include representatives from eight counties: Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, and Wayne.