As flooding continues to damage the shorelines of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, State Senator Patty Ritchie joined Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos and other state and local officials to see firsthand how high water is hurting the Jefferson County Village of Clayton and surrounding communities.

This is the second time in three years shoreline homeowners and businesses have been severely impacted by record high water.

“While shoreline communities such as Clayton are still open for business and are a great place to visit this summer, it remains critically important that our state and local leaders see firsthand how high water is affecting them and our shoreline homeowners,” said Senator Ritchie.

“I would like to thank Lieutenant Governor Hochul, as well as Commissioner Seggos for making the trip to the North Country to talk with those impacted and witness the damage being caused. I am hopeful they will take what they saw and heard back to Albany as they continue to look for ways to help those impacted. 

Recently, Senator Ritchie joined with Assembly members Will Barclay and Mark Walczyk to launch a petition calling for the suspension of Plan 2014—which regulates water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River—until problems resulting from record high water can be addressed. The petition currently has nearly 1,000 signatures and can be signed by visiting Senator Ritchie’s website, www.ritchie.nysenate.gov.