Keeping our waterways safe and clean requires teamwork. That’s why The Chemung County Sheriff’s Department, Chemung River Friends, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation teamed up over the Memorial Day weekend to visit boat launches and fishing spots on the Chemung River and ponds in Chemung County.

We applaud Chemung County Sheriff William Schrom for starting the program to improve river safety, recreation and the environment. The team’s accomplishments included educating boaters about water safety, rules, and river conditions; giving away life vests to two kayakers who didn’t have any; stopping four youths, without life vests, from using an inflatable raft to paddle on the Chemung River near the hazardous Chase-Hibbard Dam in Elmira; giving away safety whistles and boat identification tags; checking for fishing licenses and talking with anglers about fishing regulations and fishing techniques; picking up litter; and reassuring citizens that public boat launches and fishing sites are being patrolled for safety and illegal activity.

The team plans to do more patrols in the future and asks that the public call 911 to report suspicious or illegal activity and dumping along our waterways.

We thank the team and the public for their support and respect for our natural resources, environment, and community.

Jim Pfiffer
Chemung County River Friends