CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — There are efforts to restore the habitats and ecosystems that live within Scajaquada Creek.
Several communities sit along the 13-mile creek that spans from Buffalo to Lancaster and at a meeting Tuesday, the Buffalo Waterkeeper and the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled their possible restoration plans.
The Army Corps of Engineers has five options to study and determine the feasibility, but they also want community members to weigh in.
"This project is an opportunity to offset some environmental impacts from the original Scajaquada Creek Flood Risk Management project," said Army Corps of Engineers lead planner biologist Jennie Brancho.
Brancho is talking about making improvements to a project that is nearly 45 years old: keeping floodwaters out of communities that border Scajaquada Creek.
"We're looking at things like creating a flood plain to interact with the stream a little bit more, creating wetland habitat," Brancho said.
This is an opportunity that the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has also been eyeing for well over two decades.
"Always looking for opportunities to provide ecosystem improvement across the whole of Scajaquada Creek. This project was a really unique opportunity to look at some of the negative impacts that have occurred due to the Flood Risk Management structures constructed back in the early 80s, in the Town of Cheektowaga," Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper deputy executive director Carrie Gallo said.
Gallo is hoping there are some ecosystem repairs to offset those impacts.
Tuesday's meeting gathered public input on the options before the core of engineers goes off to study them.
"We want to hear concerns, we want to hear feedback. What are we missing? Are there other opportunities that we haven't captured here," Gallo added.
Longtime Village of Lancaster resident Amy Stypa was at the meeting.
"I think it's a really great initiative looking at greening up our community and looking at needing to be prepared for climate change and finding what are those key pieces, what are those key parts in our community," Stypa said. "Having that opportunity for a community to comment, understand what's going on and it's really important for residents to be engaged in what's going on in their community."
Detailed images and information about the options can be found here.
To learn more about the Scoping Information public review documents, click here.
If you were not able to make it to the meeting, you can find where to give your feedback through this email: Scajaquada1135@usace.army.mil
The study will run until September 21.
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