Shandaken, NY – It took a year but today the Ulster County Legislature announced that the final work to remove “The Strainer” and re-plant the embankment along the Esopus Creek in Shandaken has been completed.  “The Strainer” consisted of enormous tree trunks and other debris that washed downstream by natural erosion and flooding events.  In this case it created a deadly hazard in the Esopus Creek claiming the life of young tuber, Jordyn Engler in September of 2015.   

The Ulster County Legislature funded the project and praised Ulster County Soil & Water staff for overseeing the work along the environmentally sensitive banks of the Esopus Creek. 

Days after the Engler tragedy, Governor Andrew Cuomo in concert with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) recognized the seriousness of the issue.  In anticipation of flooding expected from Hurricane Joaqulin as a precautionary measure the Governor directed the National Guard to remove the Strainer debris from the creek. 

Local officials expressed concern about safety and feared that this debris would simply wash back into the Esopus Creek and possibly cause further damage and create other hazards downstream. 

At the request of the Ulster County Legislature, representatives of Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District (UCSWCD) inspected the site and suggested working with NYSDEC to secure permission to remove the debris from the bank of the Esopus Creek permanently.  The Ulster County Legislature approved funding for the work in the 2016 county budget.

The Esopus Creek is a popular tubing, boating, fishing and sightseeing destination for tourist and local residents year round. Experts warn that strainers are created by an ongoing process of erosion and warn swimmers, tubers, fishermen and even people in boats, canoes and kayaks to avoid areas of the creeks and rivers where debris builds up.

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