OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford An unofficial path to Canadaway Creek on Forest Place near the Risley Street bridge in Fredonia. A plan is afloat to create formal fishing access sites to the creek in the village.

A plan for improvements along Canadaway Creek was shared by Jim Joy, of Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Management Commission, at a recent Fredonia Board of Trustees workshop.

Joy said, “The (commission) has funding that supports a lot of activities that enhance specific things around the area pertaining to water and the watershed… There’s an available resource in Fredonia as we all know, Canadaway Creek, and that’s a project we’ve identified that could use some help.

“There’s several access points into the creek, we have a lot of fishermen that are climbing down banks and into the stream. It’s beneficial to Fredonia to jump onto this because there are several parcels that the village owns that go right to the creek. … If the village was to support something like this, there would be some funds available… to get some pathways down to the creek, in addition to streambank stabilization projects.”

Joy mentioned several possible places for creek access points: next to the Fredonia Fire Hall on Main Street (where erosion must be addressed first), Risley Street, the community parking lot on Water Street, and Liberty Street. “That could be enough to make an anglers’ trail, which I think the county tourism (department) would probably support with funds and activities there,” Joy said.

He asked the trustees “to get it into the books that you support it” so the commission can start applying for grants as soon as possible.

Trustee Jon Espersen asked about parking behind the fire hall. “I’d be comfortable with two or three spots, obviously the question would be enforcement,” Fire Chief Joshua Myers said.

“There’s plenty of parking over on Water Street,” Joy said.