This major river which runs through the city of Rochester and dissects there with the Erie Canal also has its unique ecology and a history of contamination from industry and agricultural run-off.  There are many environmental issues relating to this river that people still use to canoe, boat, swim on. It even harbors large vessels as the Genesee River meets Lake Ontario.  Cleaning up the Genesee from centuries of use as a transportation route and drainage for industry should be instrumental before developers begin yet another millennia of use, this time for tourism. Get the news links and all the resources for this topic. 

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Genesee River News

Resources for Genesee River

 The principal law governing pollution of the Nation's waterways is the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or Clean Water Act (CWA). Originally enacted in 1948, it was totally revised by amendments in 1972 that gave the law its current shape. Also, at this location: The Federal Water Pollution Control Act ("FWPCA"), 33 U.S.C. §§1251 -1387, is the federal statute regulating the discharge of water pollution.

 New York State Wild, Scenic and Recreation River System Act --from American Rivers

 Genesee River - There is romance as well as scenic wonder in the breathtaking vistas carved by the Genesee River as it winds through the city. Thousands of years of human history layered atop eons of geological time inspire visions of adventure, from Indian lore & pioneer daring to landholders' schemes & industrial revolution - from Rochester, New York CitySite

Genesee River News

• Undredged river caused shallow Port - A survey of the Genesee River at the Port of Rochester this week found water depths have lessened as much as three feet in the past year, making the waterway more shallow. The U.S. Corps of Engineers survey, released today, found the outer channel between the river piers is among the most affected by sediment build up, or shoaling. Last month, the Stephen B. Roman, a cement boat and the only freighter still operating on the river, ran aground as it attempted to traverse the river. (April 4, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Genesee River Dredging Funds Cut - 13WHAM.com - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not dredge the Genesee River as planned this summer, because of federal budget cuts. The $920,000 funding cut came as a surprise to local officials and Charlotte residents, who did not learn of it until a major cargo ship got stuck in the mouth of the river last Thursday.  - (March 29, 2007) Home - 13WHAM.com
• Silt levels of Genesee surveyed next week - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doesn't expect to get a survey crew out on the Genesee River to measure the extent of shoaling at least until Monday. (March 29,07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Progress made in lakes cleanup - Oswego River off problem list, but Genesee remains— The Oswego River was officially removed from a binational list of the Great Lakes' most polluted tributaries Tuesday — the first American site to mark such a milestone. Meanwhile, the Genesee River, which appears on the same list of 43 polluted sites, needs several more years of effort before it can be considered healthy. (July 26, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
• SPRING CLEANING - Paul Noto knows all about big cleaning jobs. He's the operations manager for the city's environmental-services department. And this week, his department begins working on one of its more unusual assignments: cleaning the Genesee River. Each spring, environmental workers begin removing debris that collects in what the department calls "the river pool" --- the stretch of water from the Court Street dam north to the HighFalls. The debris consists mostly of trees and brush, drawn into the water by erosion from melting ice and strong currents along the river banks from as far south as the Mount Morris Dam. But there's more interesting stuff, too. (March 15, 2006) City Newspaper
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Genesee river current has a new spark — The Genesee River once drove the Rochester economy by powering flour mills. Now city officials want it to power a new emerging industry — fuel cell technology. The city has applied for a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority grant to study the feasibility of using the river and the 96-foot-high waterfalls downtown as a hydrogen source to power fuel cells. (April 11, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  DEC Teaches Judges About Gorge - Few realize you'd have to go to Alaska to find the sort of unique fishing environment the Genesee River gorge offers. Its urban setting also make it a place for problems, not just fishing and gaming problems, but those involving alcohol and drugs. The DEC provided a guided tour of the gorge to five Rochester City Court judges Tuesday. (July 30, 2003) R News: Your NewsChannel
•  Democrat & Chronicle: 50 talk about developing river (October 3, 2002) — More than 50 people attended a public workshop Wednesday about how to spur development along and to improve access to the Genesee River between East Main Street and the Inner Loop to the north.  Democrat and Chronicle
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Rochester gets river-access plan — The Crowne Plaza hotel knows the benefit of having the Genesee River in its back yard. "We have a lot of guests here who request river-view rooms," said Vince McIntyre, director of security at the hotel. "It's a really big deal for us." (April 15, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
•  Federal funds to ease Great Lakes pollution The Genesee River and other waterways that feed into Lake Ontario could benefit from a federal bill that adds $250 million over the next five years for the prevention of Great Lakes pollution. (July 12, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
•  Sunken Tugboat Leaking Fuel  The Department of Environmental Conservation is cleaning up an oily mess on the Genesee River, left behind when a tugboat sank.  (January 16, 2001) RNews. 
•  Grounded Tugboat Leaks Oil Into The Genesee Rochester, NY - Crews worked to clean up a small fuel oil leak from a grounded tugboat in the Genesee River near Charlotte on Monday. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officials said the boat released about 200 gallons of oil into the river, but said the environmental impact of the spill will be minimal. DEC officials also said investigators had been working to determine the source of the spill for about a week. 
  (January 15, 2001) RochesterToday
•  Oil Spill Clean Up Continues The clean up of the oil spill in the Genesee River continues Monday. A sunken tug boat had been leaking fuel oil into the Genesee River, which can be seen over a two mile stretch. (January 15, 2001) WHEC
•  A local researcher's heavenly sight The plumes of smoke extending from the shoreline are pollutants being dumped into Lake Ontario from the Genesee River and runoff from land. (July 10, 2000) Henrietta Post. 
•  Gore announces $50 million for Great Lakes cleanup Activists say allocation won't be enough for Genesee River-lake area, other sites  - 01/11/00--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
•  DEC frets over river project, wetlands  Genesee water level will be dropped in order to repair wall near Corn Hill --12/12/99DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
•  "The Environmental Health Committee of the Board of Health is charged with collecting community input about the Environmental Health Report Card. (File is in Portable Document File Help for format.)The Committee will assess the information gathered and make recommendations to the Board of Health regarding priorities for action to improve the environmental health of our community. Included with the report card is a form to give people an opportunity to provide input about priorities for action. Please feel free to fill it out, make comments and send it back to us." This document includes a report on the health of the Genesee River.
•  River bottom still a trash heap The Genesee River is a natural resource to lure
  people downtown.  --9/25/99--TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
•  Junk in the Genesee River "-The low water has not only revealed a lot of junk, but also bureaucratic confusion over how to clean it out."--7/13/99 --TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
•  River fertilizes crop of dreams ---7/12/99 DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
•  Trash spoils a beautiful view The Genesee River downtown is looking like a
  landfill, but a cleanup is questionable ---7/12/99 DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
•  HURRICANE AGNES and the GENESEE RIVER FLOODING--National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
•  Snow Being Dumped Into Genesee River 1/16/99----TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
•  From Rochester Committee for Scientific Information (RCSI)--Water Conservation.
•  Chemicals Dumped in Rivers?  Industry discharged 1 billion pounds of toxic chemicals into U.S. waterways from 1992 to 1996...
•  Dishonorable Discharge Under existing federal pollution control laws, the American people are kept in the dark about the vast majority of toxic pollution spewed into the environment by U.S. industry.
•  EPA Reports on Toxic Releases to Air, Water and Land in New York NEW YORK, N.Y.-- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported today in its annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) that the 99.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals listed as released in New York during 1988 had dropped to 26 million pounds in 1996, a decrease over the eight-year period of 73.9%.
•  PIRG: Troubled Waters: Executive Summary Year after year, America’s waterways continue to serve as dumping grounds for toxic pollution. Today, 26 years after the enactment of the Clean Water Act, thousands of polluters flush millions of pounds of toxic substances into rivers and streams with impunity, without any obligation to inform the communities downstream about the vast majority of toxic chemical use or discharges.
•  Sierra Club Roch. Regional Group: 1995 TRI-DISCHARGES TO WATER
•  The 50 most polluted rivers or waterbodies in the U.S. The Genesee River with 3,672,733 Total pounds of direct toxic discharges to water (1990-1994) ranks 20th.
•  Rochester, New York Facilities Reporting TRI Discharges to Water in Rochester, New York
•  Genesee River ranks "second among U.S. rivers that had cancer-causing chemicals dumped into them during a recent five-year period"--Rochester Digital Edition article: (Genesee earns grim ranking ), according to The State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs).  Go here http://www.pirg.org/enviro/toxics/waters98/index.htm to read the full report and here http://www.pirg.org/enviro/toxics/waters98/table10.htm to see the how the Genesee River stacks up against other U.S. Rivers. 

Resources for Genesee River

•  Lower Genesee USGS Cataloging Unit: 04130003 All the facts on the Genesee River from the EPA. 
•  EPA's American Heritage River Nominee's Genesee River: This site includes a clickable map for the three water shed areas that cross the Genesee River.
•  River Network - Home Page: River Network River Network's mission is to help people organize to protect and restore rivers and watersheds.
•  American Rivers: Celebrating 25 years of bringing rivers to life, American Rivers is North America's leading national river-conservation organization. Our mission is to
  protect and restore America's river systems and to foster a river stewardship ethic.
•  The World’s Water: a site dedicated to providing up-to-date water resources information and data, and connections to organizations, institutions, and individuals working on a wide range of global freshwater problems and solutions.
•  The Rivers and Estuaries Institute on the Hudson Millions of New Yorkers live near the Hudson River and Estuary, and hundreds of thousands more along the Niagara, Genesee, St. Lawrence and other major rivers. Rivers and estuaries provide transportation, electric power, recreation, biological diversity and scenic beauty vital to our lives and economy. -- NYS DEC. 
•  Mount Morris Dam The largest dam of its type east of the Mississippi River! Located deep in the Genesee River gorge next to Letchworth State Park --from the US Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District. 
•  Irondequoit Bay Irondequoit Bay is an area of historical, archaeological, ecological and geological significance. In preglacial times, the Bay served as the mouth of the Genesee River. When the last ice sheet receded, the river abandoned its channel and took its present course west of the Bay. This set the stage for the Bay as a vital natural resource and a center of settlement. --from Monroe County Government site