Thanks to all who volunteered and donated during Spring Sweep 2026! Over 900 volunteers removed over 8,200 pounds of trash from sites around WNY. And donors helped raise over $10,700 in the Beyond the Bags campaign. Check out photos from the day here: bnwaterkeeper.org/spring-sweep...

Our latest episode features Mike from Outside Chronicles chatting with Jeanne from BNW about the organization, our watershed, as well as the ongoing WNY waterfalls challenge. Listen below to that and others. bnwaterkeeper.org/between-two-...

Join our Erie County Parks Department and BWELL for the 2nd Annual Pollinator Festival! 📆 Sunday, May 3 ⌚ 11 AM to 4 PM 📍 Emery Park (2084 Emery Road, South Wales) The event features vendors, a native plant sale, family-friendly activities and more! More info at ➡️ https://loom.ly/MAUG9o8

Undaunted by rain, Guild members and friends were proud to again join @bnwaterkeeper.bsky.social spring cleanup Saturday, along the Scajaquada shoreline. Everything from discarded bottles to abandoned construction material got hauled to the curb. We believe in protecting our community!

Tomorrow, April 16, the University at Buffalo is hosting a conversation with Luella Kenny, a former Love Canal resident and activist. Luella regularly shares her story with BNW's YELP students. Check this out if you can. Learn more at the link below. booking.lib.buffalo.edu/event/16140878

Water restoration efforts are contributing to improving economies across the Great Lakes region. Learn more about with expert John Austin, @mkeriverkeeper.bsky.social @bnwaterkeeper.bsky.social & Friends of the Detroit River #GreatLakes #CleanWater www.healthylakes.org/latest-news/...

Over 1,000 people signed up for Spring Sweep so far. If you have not, here are sites that could use extra volunteers on April 25 from 10am-noon: Thomas Higgins Park Seneca ST. Corridor - North Seneca ST. Corridor - South Mungovan Park Gill Creek Park Register here: bnwaterkeeper.org/springsweep

Current* conditions near Buffalo, NY:

Curious what we've been up to? Check out our 2025 Annual Report, online now! bnwaterkeeper.org/annual-report/

The WNY Waterfall Challenge is OPEN! Thanks to Outside Chronicles for again hosting. Part of the proceeds benefit Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. The Challenge runs through June 30. Register here and go explore some waterfalls! outsidechronicles.com/challenges/w...

The Harlem Road Blueway site is almost ready! Our contractor is putting on the final touches, and we’re excited to share that everything is coming together. Stay tuned for details on our grand opening this April — we can’t wait to welcome everyone to the site!

We're looking for volunteers to help with a planting along Cayuga Creek in Niagara Falls this Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The goal is to plant about 200 live stakes and 100 bareroot tree seedlings along the shore. Learn more and register: pro.gofundme.com/event/cayuga...

Our latest Between Two Great Lakes podcast episode features Allen Fagan with Wyoming County Soil & Water Conservation District. We talk about the headwaters, invasive species, and a collaboration to improve fish passage through a culvert. Listen below. bnwaterkeeper.org/between-two-...

So many have already signed up for Spring Sweep, but many sites could use some love. If you haven't already, consider some of the sites below. bnwaterkeeper.org/springsweep/ Cayuga Creek – Depew Thomas Higgins MLK Park Seneca Street Business Areas Southside Elementary Downtown Theater

Call for Erie County Artists! Erie County's Arts in Public Places program is seeking proposals for two new public art commissions at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens and Isle View Park. Learn more and apply: erie.gov/publicart Questions: [email protected]

We met with consulting teams interested in our upcoming Cayuga Creek Living Shoreline Project to learn about the goals. These include reconnecting the creek to its floodplain, restore native habitats, and create an outdoor classroom for the Niagara Wheatfield High School. Stay tuned for more info!

When meadows are healthy, they act like sponges: capturing snowmelt and rain, storing it underground, and slowly releasing that water later into the summer when downstream ecosystems need it most. Post restoration, meadows hold onto groundwater longer and keep cold water moving through the watershed

Now's the time to register for Spring Sweep 2026! We have 30+ sites across WNY and you can sign up today for a site. You'll be joining over a thousand people on April 25 helping clean our communities. Hope you can make it! Thanks to all our great volunteers. bnwaterkeeper.org/springsweep/

We spotted “ice volcanoes” on Lake Erie while scouting our upcoming projects in partnership with Cradle Beach. While fascinating to see, these can be unstable with hidden holes and frigid cold-water underneath, so it’s best to admire from a safe distance. bnwaterkeeper.org/cradle-beach/

The Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed covers 1.5 million acres, includes over 100 municipalities and over 5,500 miles of watercourses in WNY. Our jurisdiction covers much of this region. Learn more about our watershed in our latest Riverwatch report. bnwaterkeeper.org/riverwatch/

In 2026, we're calling on our federal partners to fund #GLRI, invest in #GreatLakes navigation, support clean water, pass a Farm Bill, build resiliency, and fight algal blooms and invasive species. Learn more: https://ow.ly/it3y50Yo40G

It's Skip the Straw Day. In 2025, volunteers collected 2633 plastic straws/stirrers* as trash within Erie County. This trash was in the top 10 for the region. Help keep our waters clean. Skip the plastic, single use straw. *From Trash Information and Data for Education Solutions (TIDES)

📕Or see the full Special Issue on #Wetlands in a Changing #Climate here ⤵️ natureconservation.pensoft.net/issue/5008/ Cc: @bfn-de.bsky.social @umweltministerium.de @ufz.de @idiv-research.bsky.social @ramsar.org @sgn.one @spongeboost.eu @bioagora.eu @respin-project.bsky.social @spongeboost.eu

Join us in person or online for a Feb. 24 presentation at UB called Beyond Love Canal. It'll explore how we work with the City of Niagara Falls to steward waterways shaped by a complex environmental past. Register/learn more here: booking.lib.buffalo.edu/event/16285587

Thanks to our friends at Farmer Pirates Compost in Buffalo for helping our office divert over 770 pounds of trash from landfills in 2025! Here's our yearly breakdown. farmerpirates.com

Our Riverwatch program consists of some wonderful volunteers trained to gather important water quality around WNY. In 2025, our eight teams regularly sampled 58 sites from May to October. Learn more about the group and other water quality stats below. bnwaterkeeper.org/riverwatch/

We're hiring! This position will undertake various aspects of citizen science and restoration projects, including providing technical/scientific and advocacy support, community outreach, education, tours, special events and more. Deadline to apply is March 2. bnwaterkeeper.org/about/careers/

We saw over 100 friends and neighbors attend our 3 workshops for our Scajaquada Creek Restoration Plan! If you live in the Scajaquada Creek corridor and weren't able to attend a meeting, visit bnwaterkeeper.org/scajaquada/ and click "Participate Here" to learn more and fill out the survey.

Volunteers in our Solo Sweep program picked up nearly 3,500 pounds of litter in 2025. Learn how you can help build on past success and clean up around WNY throughout 2026. bnwaterkeeper.org/solosweep/

We've had two engaging workshops to discuss the Scajaquada Creek Ecological Restoration Plan. There's one more left! Monday, Feb 9; 5:30-7pm at Delavan-Grider Community Center. Stop by to learn more about the plan and offer input. bnwaterkeeper.org/scajaquada-r...

The latest Riverwatch Water Quality Report is online! It's a resource about water quality in WNY featuring data collected throughout 2025. Lots of info in it, check it out. Thanks to many volunteers for their efforts to collect water samples throughout WNY. bnwaterkeeper.org/riverwatch/

Current* conditions near Westfield, NY:

A reminder that our first workshop about the Scajaquada Creek Restoration Plan is Monday, Feb. 2 at the Anna Reinstein Memorial Library. Stop by to learn more and share input! bnwaterkeeper.org/scajaquada-r...

In the midst of the sewage spill chaos, it’s easy to feel helpless when it comes to protecting our rivers. Join us for this free webinar to learn what YOU can do to help make change! Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/water-wedn... 👩🏽‍💻 #toxins #cleanwater #riverkeeper #potomacriver #shenandoahriver

World Wetlands Day is Feb 2! 🌱 Wetlands are some of the most diverse & important ecosystems on the planet. They provide: 💧 Water Filtration 💧 Flood Prevention 💧 Groundwater Recharge Join us for a day among our local wetlands on Saturday, Feb 7. Learn more: stjohnsriverkeeper.org/event/2026-0...

In 2025, volunteers in our local Nurdle Patrol collected and removed over 10,000 nurdles from around WNY. That's a lot of plastic not going into our waterways. Want to learn more about Nurdle Patrol? We have two trainings in May. Sign up here: bnwaterkeeper.org/nurdle-patrol/

Check out a screening of The Fish Thief documentary @ Aquarium of Niagara on Feb. 5. We'll be there to chat with the public along with other orgs. Learn how to register below. bnwaterkeeper.org/event/film-s...

Hot off the press: @wqmgreatlakes.bsky.social SOE Great Lakes report, incl. an indicator for #groundwater quality. Status is Good based on chloride & nitrate concentrations, but the 10-year trend is Undetermined due to insufficient spatial coverage binational.net/wp-content/u...

A note that our first Scajaquada Creek Restoration Plan workshop for today has been postponed. The meeting at Anna Reinstein Memorial Library will now be Feb. 2, 5:30-7pm. bnwaterkeeper.org/scajaquada-r...

The Buffalonians starter pack is now at over 100 names, mostly people who are not focused solely on sports. Want to be added? Drop a howdy in the replies! go.bsky.app/SZiSKxz

SALES ARE OPEN for our third annual Freshwater Flicks Film Festival at The Caz! We've got a new series of short, inspirational and fun films from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Get your tickets today for this March 1 event. www.classy.org/event/2026-f...

The public is invited to participate in a series of workshops to learn more about the Scajaquada Creek Ecological Restoration Plan, meet the project team, and provide input on areas to enhance. There are 3 different dates and locations to choose from. More below: bnwaterkeeper.org/scajaquada-r...

Seats are starting to fill up for our 1-day Midwest Academy framework training on Saturday January 24- be sure to sign up to reserve your seat! actionnetwork.org/events/midwe...

Watch a time lapse of the Niagara River ice boom going in from the New York Power Authority. The ice boom helps protect the shoreline and water intakes from jamming due to large ice chunks. iceboom.nypa.gov

We're in the design phase to stabilize 3,000 feet of eroding shoreline along Eighteenmile Creek by 18 Mile Golf Course. The proposed idea would increase native plantings, improve water quality while still maintaining the golfing experience. See the concepts below. bnwaterkeeper.org/18mile-creek/

A study prepared by Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper says that $79 billion worth of development and infrastructure in Buffalo may be at risk of "catastrophic" damage from flooding if action is not taken to protect it. buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

As the shallowest Great Lake, Lake Erie is known for its seiche events. We captured before/after images at Cradle Beach from a Nov. 2025 seiche. See additional images, as well as charts showcasing spikes in water levels, here: bnwaterkeeper.org/seiche-2025/

Over the last year, our staff and volunteers continued to protect local waterways and build community connections. Work for an even better 2026 is on the way, but take a look back on the 2025 Water Wins around Western New York! bnwaterkeeper.org/waterwins2025/

Mid-size Community Infrastructure Project: Congrats to Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper for restoring Cayuga Creek! Floodplains & wetlands are back, reducing flood risk & improving water quality. @bnwaterkeeper.bsky.social

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: A federal bill (HR 3898) in the House of Representatives proposes nearly 20 provisions that are end-runs around the Clean Water Act to dramatically weaken or remove water quality protections. (1/3)