By ADAM ATKINSON

North Country This Week

CANTON -- Salmon fishing in the Grasse River?

A Canton Town Board member is suggesting the town work with the town of Madrid to install a fish ladder or run in the Madrid dam to allow the salmon and other species to travel from the St. Lawrence, as far up the Grasse River as Canton and Pyrites, part of their original spawning grounds.

“So in Heuvelton, they put in a fish passage around the dams, and its going to be great for the upper Oswegatchie,” said Town Councilman Bob Washo at a town board meeting Wednesday, May 9.

“So I’m curious if a conversation can start, maybe between Canton and Madrid, about looking into the feasibility of doing something there (Madrid) that would restore a lot of habitat to this stretch of the Grasse River all the way to Pyrites. And bring salmon that get dammed up at Madrid and bring them all the way to Pyrites,” Washo said.

Washo said he thought having a passage in Madrid at the park would be a big boon to the community as a tourist attraction.

County Legislator Kevin Acres, who was attending the town meeting, said there was some pushback against the Heuvelton passage due to how complicated the project was and the funding issues.

“I would think there would be some federal money out there given how much restored habitat there would be between Madrid and Pyrites, to bring those species back to their natural spawning grounds,” Washo said.

Washo said he thought the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service might have some role in funding the project as well.

Acres said he would bring the topic up with the Madrid board when he attended their meeting later that evening.

Washo said the Madrid dam is a block for a number of species including walleye, sturgeon and salmon, coming from the St. Lawrence Seaway.

“From Madrid they could go all the way up through,” Acres said.

“Correct,” Washo said. “I think as far as waterfront tourism, it would make the Grasse River a major player then.”

Acres agreed and said he knows of people that travel from Pennsylvania to Chase Mills to fish.