Friends of the Upper Delaware River Establish New Riverside Park

Friends of the Upper Delaware River Partners with Deposit, NY
To Establish New Riverside Park

A crew of more than 60 volunteers turned out on June 1 to help create the new Friends of the Upper Delaware River Park on the West Branch in Deposit.

The volunteers, including members of Future Farmers of America from Walton Central School and other students from Sidney, removed debris and deadwood, cleared vegetation and broke trails at the site, which runs along 350 feet of riverfront on Laurel Avenue in the village.

A local landowner who wanted to open the spot up for public enjoyment donated the property to FUDR, a nonprofit conservation group. When completed, the park will include hiking trails, picnic tables, benches and a viewing platform that will provide access for the physically challenged.

FUDR Park will provide a new access point to the river for trout fishermen, birdwatchers and others, said Jeff Skelding, executive director of Friends of the Upper Delaware River.

“River access is desperately needed in the Upper Delaware River system,” Skelding said. “The best way to educate people about the importance of this river is to give them a bird’s eye view of its beauty. The river not only provides a variety of recreational opportunities like fishing, boating, hiking and bird-watching. It also contributes to the economic vitality of Delaware County, attracting tens of thousands visitors each year.”

The volunteers included a number of Deposit residents as well as members of Trout Unlimited , Theodore Gordon Flyfishers and the Wild Trout Flyrodders.

“Special thanks go to Deposit Mayor John O’Connor,” said Dan Plummer, FUDR’s board chairman. “He was the first guy to arrive and the last to leave.”

The riverside transformation attracted the attention of Field & Stream magazine, which selected the Deposit project and Friends of the Upper Delaware River for its “Hero for a Day” conservation program. A film crew from the magazine spent the day documenting the work of the conservation volunteers.

Plummer said a number of local and regional businesses donated materials and services, and others donated lunch for the volunteers. Participating businesses included BC Pizza & More, Butterfields Café and Koo Koose Grille, all of Deposit; the Bluestone Grill of Hancock; Catskill Region Surveying Services of Fleischmanns; Landstudies Inc. of Lititz, Penn.; Schaefer Enterprises of Deposit; Watson Engineering of Owego; Wheeler Excavating of Deposit, and Wist Lumber of Deposit.

“I want to especially recognize Wheeler Excavating,” said Plummer. “Even though Donny Wheeler says he is ‘not feeling 100 percent these days,’ he stepped up to help get the park ready for use. Donny sent his grandson Steve Deinhard to do the heavy lifting this project needed to get off the ground.”