An expansion of a $250,000 county project to restore a heavily damaged section of Irondequoit Creek stream bank may be in the works.

The original project targeted 2,500 feet of the creek's banks in Ellison and Powder Mills Park. The county could now get as much as $3 million in state and federal funding to restore the creek's banks in the parks, says Parks Director Larry Staub. At an estimated cost of $100 per foot, that would cover a decent chunk of stream bank.

"We're really talking about expanding the project at no cost to the county," Staub says.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation had offered the county a $250,000 grant to fix some of the worst areas of creek bank in Ellison and Powder Mills Parks. That included a section in Ellison that's been severely damaged by dogs who run in and out of the creek. Restoring that section is a top priority, Staub says. But the County Legislature didn't pass a measure that the county administration said was necessary to collect the grant and do the project.

The Army Corps of Engineers approached the county after the failed vote. That agency, the county, and the DEC are now working together on the creek project, and have applied for federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding.

"There are a lot more sites that need to be done along the creek," says Web Pearsall, DEC's regional fisheries manager.

Environmental and parks officials say it's critical to address the erosion in the creek's banks. Erosion results in more sediment in the water, which is a problem since the creek's cool, clear waters provide spawning grounds for trout. The creek also feeds into Irondequoit Bay.

"We want to try to control the sediment and related pollution that is carried into Irondequoit Bay," Pearsall says.