Buffalo Blueway

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has dedicated nearly 40 years to the restoration and protection of the Buffalo River. Our organization is responsible for convening the Buffalo River Restoration Partnership, made up of public, private, and nonprofit partners, whom over the span of 20 years, deployed over $100 million to remove 1 million cubic yards of toxic contamination from the river and restored over 2 miles of shoreline. Please see our full statement at https://bnwaterkeeper.org/miami-street-development-statement-oct/

A HUGE thank you to Amelia, Molly & Caroline from East Aurora, who recently held a lemonade and snow cone stand to raise money for Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. 🍋🍋🍋 After making a very generous donation from last year's lemonade stand proceeds, the girls had a $200 goal for this year and WELL exceeded it with a whopping $350 donation to support clean water in WNY! Did you miss the stand but still want to contribute to their efforts? Donate here and put "Lemonade" in the gift notes: https://bnwaterkeeper.org/donate/

Eddy says don't miss the final week of ! Whether it is the Queen City Clean Waters Fair on Friday, the BWELL Solo Sweep Challenge on Saturday or the last virtual Lunch -n- Learn on Wednesday, there's something for everyone in Scajaquada September! Visit www.scajaquadaseptember.com to learn more.

Waterkeeper is aware of the recent site work at 5 Miami Street, and our previous concerns and questions have become more urgent. This is adjacent to the Buffalo River, yet there are no visible erosion controls or soil containment at the site. With rain forecasted, there is a significant potential for offsite migration of soil and potential residual contaminants at this former brownfield site. We have reached out to NYSDEC and currently have no other information on any environmental testing of that material or know of any plans to contain the soil on site during inclement weather. Transparency and public information about the environmental conditions and site controls to protect air and water resources is needed now.

“We respect the boundaries of the Nation’s sovereignty, however in the natural world, we know that water and pollution follow no such geo-political boundaries," said Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. “Deliberate reintroduction of a polluting land use along a corridor that has taken generations to clean-up and remediate is both frustrating and concerning. It is critically important that development pauses until there is transparency and assessment of potential environmental and health impacts to the river, groundwater, and surrounding communities. We encourage the City of Buffalo and the NYS DEC to engage with the Nation to ensure ongoing protection of the still-recovering Buffalo River.” See our full statement on the 5 Miami Street Development at https://bnwaterkeeper.org/5-miami-street-development-statement/

Last week, Nav gracefully concluded her summer internship with Waterkeeper and was very understanding as we tried to come up with a million excuses why she absolutely could not leave us.🥺We are so grateful for all of her hard work and so excited to see what's next for her! Here are her words on the experience:

"My time at Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has been such a meaningful experience, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything I’ve learned along the way. From getting out in the field for water quality testing, to connecting with communities around restoration projects, to working with the YELP program that I once participated in myself as a high school student, I’ve been able to see so many different sides of environmental advocacy. This internship showed me how much meaningful environmental work depends not only on science, but also on community engagement, policy, education, and making sure people have a voice in decisions that affect the places they call home. I’m so thankful to the entire team for giving me the opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow this summer!"

Another great kayak tour today, this time at Woods Creek in Buckhorn State Park on Grand Island with some teens from the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club. It was great to catch up with their coordinator, Jy’Ahzhannae Taylor, one of our YELP alumni who continues to amaze us with the positive impact she is making on her community!

Big thank you to our partner, Friends of Freedom Park, for having Waterkeeper at their Healing By The Water event. Healing By The Water is every Thursday at Freedom Park (formerly Broderick, Foot of Ferry) until September 10th. Freedom Park is a very sacred and historic site of the Underground Railroad, where Freedom Seekers traveled to from all over the country to escape to Canada. You can learn more at the museum within the park. The park is also located in the Scajaquada Creek watershed. We talked with visitors about the history and future of this unique waterway and invited to them to join us next month for activities during Scajaquada September. The water was gorgeous, the music was amazing, and we are grateful to be part of this special event along the Niagara! Learn more about next month's activities at www.scajaquadaseptember.com. Friends Of Broderick Park