State announces $3 million in recreation improvements for Massena Intake Park

MASSENA, N.Y. — Crews have finished their work on more than $3 million in improvements at Massena Intake Park, a local marina and picnic facility in St. Lawrence County.

It’s associated with the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project on the St. Lawrence River, the New York governor’s office said.

The improvements include an expansion of existing boat launches from four to eight, a new dock and room for seasonal boat parking, the addition of two new picnic pavilions with restrooms, along with parking and handicap-accessibility features.

Eugene Nicandri, vice chair of the NYPA board of trustees; Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of NYPA; and NYPA leaders joined state and local elected officials in Massena at a July 23 ribbon cutting to formally open the renovated facility.

Located along a scenic portion of the St. Lawrence River and New York’s international border with Canada, the Massena Intake is a “popular stop” for boaters and serves as an inviting local attraction for visiting tourists.

It is also the site of several national fishing tournaments. The Massena Intake is one of several recreational facilities that fall within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s project boundary for NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR hydropower plant in Massena.

Work on recreation facilities, which began in 2019, stemmed from the New York Power Authority’s 10-year review of the 2003 relicensing agreement for the St. Lawrence-FDR power project. NYPA owns and operates the park and funded the renovations.