New York Offers Flood Protection Grants for Upstate Projects

New York state is providing grants to help communities along the Mohawk River better handle the threat of future floods.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says more than $640,000 will be provided through the Environmental Protection Fund administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation. Cuomo says the money will help Mohawk River communities be better prepared for weather disasters.

A web camera project in Schenectady will help emergency managers monitor the river so they can provide early warnings to the public about potential flood risks. It’s estimated that 80 percent of Mohawk River floods in the city have been associated with winter snowmelt and ice jams.

DEC recently initiated the Mohawk River Basin Program, which aims at conserving, preserving, and restoring the environmental quality of the river’s watershed.