BUSTI - In hopes of slowing down erosion and sediment going into Chautauqua Lake, a channel improvement project will be done to a stream tributary on Locust Street in Busti.
The Busti Town Board recently passed an agreement with the county to do the watershed improvement project to address flooding issues in Busti and Lakewood. The project will place a series of five-check dams across a small stream that drains the area from Hunt Road to Locust Street in Lakewood.
A trash rack will also be constructed above a storm drain to prevent the drain from clogging. The stream has a steep slope, which results in high velocity and significant erosion of the channel. The check dams will serve to slow the water, trap trash and serve to reduce velocity and erosion along the stream that leads to Chautauqua Lake.
Rick Constantino, county watershed coordinator, said the project is similar to one done last year along Goose Creek.
''This will address a flooding issue for the town of Busti and village of Lakewood to slow down erosion and sediment that goes into Chautauqua Lake,'' he said. ''This will slow down the flooding, which is a major problem in the area.''
Funding for this project was provided by the county's 2 percent occupancy tax for waterway projects. The county is providing $40,000 in funding while the town and village provide in-kind services.
In other business, there will be a Busti-Hamlet Development Group chicken barbecue starting at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Busti mill pavilion. Each meal will cost $10 and there will be no pre-sale tickets available this year. There will be 300 chicken dinners served at the event.