The Town of Canandaigua is getting nearly $4.8 million from New York State to protect drinking water and reduce flooding around the Canandaigua Lake watershed. State officials awarded the funding through the Water Quality Improvement Project program.
The money supports two major projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure and preserving land tied directly to water quality. The grants are part of more than $6.3 million awarded across Ontario County to address erosion, flooding, and watershed protection.
About $2 million will go toward replacing two undersized culverts that currently sit above stream banks and contribute to erosion and flooding. The town plans to install new box culverts designed to handle natural stream flows, reduce erosion, and improve aquatic habitat and connectivity within the watershed.
Another $2.8 million will fund the permanent protection of roughly 70 acres of mostly forested and former agricultural land. The Town of Canandaigua will partner with the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council and Friends of Canandaigua Lake to acquire and conserve the land. The protected area helps safeguard the lake, which supplies drinking water to about 70,000 people across the region.
State Sen. Pam Helming said the investment will protect lakes and streams while supporting families, farms, and small businesses that rely on them. Town Supervisor Don Cotter said the funding shows what’s possible when local governments, conservation groups, and the state work together to balance environmental protection with community needs.
The Water Quality Improvement Project program is run by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and provides competitive grants for projects that reduce polluted runoff, protect drinking water sources, restore habitat, and improve climate resilience.
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