THE HISTORY OF BUFFALO NIAGARA WATERKEEPER®
1940s – 1990s
Friends of the Buffalo River
State of the Waters and Organization’s Focus
- Buffalo River declared “dead” in 1967.
- Area waters begin recovery due to Clean Water Act of 1972, industrial decline and NYS DEC efforts on hazardous waste sites.
- “Friends” focus on improving environmental health of the Buffalo River, local tributaries and Lake Erie.
- Efforts on public education, community shoreline clean-ups, municipal assistance, Buffalo River Greenway plan and environmental education.
2000 – 2005
Friends of the Buffalo Niagara Rivers
State of the Waters and Organization’s Focus
- Buffalo River recovery becomes stagnant.
- Niagara River suffering from toxic inputs and loss of habitat, power project relicensing negotiation will determine the impact on the river for the next 50 years.
- “FBNR” focused on problem solving, forming partnerships and putting projects in motion to improve the environmental health of the Buffalo River, Niagara River and middle watershed.
2005 – 2017
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper
State of the Waters and Organization’s Focus
- Establishes a global model for community-led environmental efforts.
- Fresh Water Problem Solvers – Identify a problem, research and understand it, bring partners together, identify costs and solutions, seek funding, design solutions, implement and construct projects, monitor outcomes and share lessons learned.
- Reach beyond the boundaries of the watershed to the entire Great Lakes, providing perspectives and expertise to address issues that affect us and everyone in the region.
WATER. FOR LIFE.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper®
State of the Waters and Organization’s Focus
To restore and protect our water and surrounding ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations.
- Protect clean water – We are Guardians
- Restore the health of ecosystems – We are Professionals
- Connect people to water – We are Connectors
- Inspire economic growth and community engagement – We are Catalysts
- Continue to expand our impact throughout the 1440 sq. miles of the Niagara River Watershed, including issues affecting Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
PROJECTS
- Blue Economy Initiative
- Broderick Park
- Buffalo River Restoration
- Buffalo River Sediment Remediation
- Green Infrastructure
- Greenways
- Habitat
- Headwater Forests
- Healthy Niagara
- Living Shorelines
- Native Plant Guide
- Scajaquada Creek: Addressing Shoreline Stability and Hydraulic Impacts on Infrastructure
- Fish Consumption
Living Shorelines
A growing number of communities around the country are employing programs to restore shorelines to their natural form. The benefits of these naturalized living shorelines are well documented…
Scajaquada Creek
…understanding the hydrologic flow regimes, sediment transport patterns and resulting habitat conditions within Scajaquada Creek and Forest Lawn Cemetery is crucial to the region’s ability to implement long-term recovery efforts…
Rain Barrels
Native Plant Guide
Restoring the health of our ecosystem using native plant species when planting…Click >>
CSO 60
RECENT NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Comments of Definition of Waters of United States- Recodification of Pre-Existing Rules
Re: Definition of Waters of United States- Recodification of Pre-Existing Rules (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0203; FRL-9980-52-OW) To Whom It May Concern, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper (“BNW”) submits the following comments on the United States...
read moreOur Water, Our Future Fundraiser
Join us for an evening on the iconic Scajaquada Creek Corridor to benefit the work and the mission of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. The annual Our Water, Our Future fundraiser will be held on August 30th at the Buffalo History Museum, from 6:00* – 8:30 pm....
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