CHENANGO COUNTY — In celebration of National Trails Day on June 4, Chenango County EMC, Chenango Greenway Conservancy, Chenango County Soil and Water, and Friends of Rogers will be participating in the 17th annual Canal Clean Sweep. Join us as we clean up the Chenango River Trails and the Chenango Canal Heritage Trail.

There will be two kick-off locations for the cleanup. The first will be at Weiler Park in the City of Norwich at 8 a.m. The second will kick-off from the NYSDEC River Access on State Route 80 in the Town of Sherburne, and will begin at 9 a.m. Overflow parking is available at Friends of Rogers.

Canal Clean Sweep highlights the growing significance of the Canal System and the Canalway Trail as a recreational and tourism destination across the state and here in Chenango County. Community organizations, service groups, municipalities, and businesses across the New York State Canal System are participating in Canal Clean Sweep, hosting more than 100 local cleanup activities in Canalside parks and other community spaces, and on their local Canalway Trail segments.

The New York State Canal System comprises four waterways: the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals, spanning 524 miles across New York State. The Canalway Trail System along the Erie and Champlain Canals comprises a significant portion of the Empire State Trail, the recently opened 750-mile multi-use path spanning the state from Manhattan north to the Adirondacks, and west along the historic Erie Canal corridor to Buffalo.

Every season is special on such a historic and cherished system, but this year’s spring cleaning has added significance as it takes place following just over a full year of trail use since the completion and opening of the Empire State Trail in January 2021.

Over the last few years, the Canalway Trail system has seen unprecedented use, reflecting significant investments made as part of the completion of the Empire State Trail, and increased interest and participation in outdoor recreational activities due to COVID-19.

Through the efforts of volunteers across the state during Canal Clean Sweep 2022, communities will ensure the Canalway Trail system will remain a pristine recreational resource for locals and visitors alike.


If you have any questions about the event, or would like to sign up as a volunteer, please contact Allison at ayacano@co.chenango.ny.us.

-Information provided by the Chenango County Department of Planning and Development