The CWC completed many projects in 2016, including several improvements at its Chautauqua Creek Oxbow Forest Preserve in the town of Chautauqua. Photo by Jonathan Townsend

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy had an incredible year in 2016. With the addition of a new staff position dedicated to managing and caring for our preserves (that’s me!) and filling a vacant conservationist position, we had more staff power than ever before in our history.

This has allowed us to complete many new projects, one of which is at our Chautauqua Creek Oxbow Forest Preserve on Lyons Road in the Town of Chautauqua. We were able to install a massive rain garden that will reduce erosion and improve water quality in Chautauqua Creek, the municipal water supply for Westfield.

This garden was planted with over 300 individual plants from more than 30 native species. The plants installed there will add to the ecological health of the area through reestablishing plants that have been crowded out by invasive species or that were lost due to poor land use practices.

In addition to the rain garden, other preserve improvements were added, such as a main preserve sign, informational kiosk, trail signs, and a bridge spanning a steep, muddy slope. All of this was supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund.

The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. There were many other individuals, businesses, and governmental agencies that helped as well, and a formal sign thanking these contributions will be installed on the kiosk at our Preserve.

In addition to the projects mentioned above, CWC has held numerous public programs and workshops, engaged dozens of volunteers, provided interns with excellent experience and training, and played a role in state and county funded Water Quality Improvement Projects (WQIP). We also had a number of land donations in 2016. All told, CWC has now conserved more than 1,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and other important hydrological and scenic properties in Chautauqua County! This is a huge moment for our organization, and all who have helped us reach this point should be proud at the conservation work being done locally.

We are truly having an impact and are providing excellent educational and recreational opportunities in the process. Additionally, the ecosystem services our intact habitats provide reduce the amount of public money being spent on to enhance water quality or address damages from floodwaters. Watershed forests help filter water, slow and reduce runoff, and provide healthy ecological relationships – all of which translates to municipal savings in the long term.

That being said, CWC needs your help! A land donation doesn’t necessarily mean we receive a parcel of land for free. Our organization requires an environmental review, survey, and a contribution to an endowment fund to perpetually manage our properties.

We are also responsible for more traditional costs with land acquisitions such as a title search, closing costs, and staff time to coordinate all of the above. Then there are lands that aren’t donated and which CWC purchases to establish conservation properties. There are currently several such properties on our list of conservation priorities, ranging from large forested habitats to lake side wetlands that provide enormous ecosystem services. Can you help?

Become a member, make a donation to our land fund, become more involved by attending our regular hikes and workshops, or volunteer to assist in the construction of kiosks, bridges and trails. For those that prefer to be inside (and given the time of year, who can blame you?), we are in need of volunteers for administrative and clerical duties in our office.

We had a great year, but there remains an immense amount of conservation work that needs to be done. Studies indicate the need for 60% natural forest or wetland cover in order to have a healthy, properly functioning watershed.

We need to work to ensure that we attain and or maintain this level of cover. Doing so will not only ensure continual access to clean drinking water, it will also provide wildlife habitat and preserve the rural character that makes our County such a beautiful, wonderful place to live. Please feel free to contact Jonathan Townsend, CWC’s Conservation Lands Manager at jonathan@chautauquawatershed.org with questions or to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a local not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the water quality, scenic beauty and ecological health of the lakes, streams, wetlands and watersheds of the Chautauqua region.  For more information, call 716-664-2166 or visit www.chautauquawatershed.org or www.facebook.com/chautauquawatershed.