Feasibility study begins for the restoration of Scajaquada Creek

Published March 30, 2015

Buffalo, NY -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District in partnership with Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Forest Lawn Heritage Foundation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a feasibility study for the restoration of Scajaquada Creek at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY.

The feasibility study will explore habitat restoration opportunities along the 3/4 mile reach on Forest Lawn, where Scajaquada Creek reemerges from an underground tunnel and flows toward Delaware Park, and is scheduled to be completed in August 2015.

With the help of project partners, alternatives will be evaluated against various criteria, including the rights and needs of Forest Lawn lot owners and their families, the impact on cultural tourism at Forest Lawn, technical feasibility, social acceptability, and potential for ecological benefits. Goals of the study include an increase of dissolved oxygen, modification of the flow conditions that now allow water to warm and stagnate, and removal of sediment that could be potentially harmful to wildlife.  Alternatives will ensure the stability of the shoreline and consider hydraulic impacts on infrastructure within Forest Lawn Cemetery.

The multiagency team fully recognizes the on-going challenges from upstream combined sewer overflow events and discharges, and the Buffalo Sewer Authority leadership in implementing a long-term plan to address these concerns as a separate action.

The study is being conducted through the Great Lakes Remedial Action Plans Program, which allows USACE to provide technical, planning, and engineering assistance in Great Lakes Areas of Concern.  Funding for the feasibility study has come from a combination of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and New York State Dormitory Authority funding.

In 2010, the Obama Administration created the multi-year, multi-agency initiative to restore the Great Lakes.  GLRI funds are administered and distributed through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  For additional information about the GLRI program visit: http://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/GreatLakesRestorationInitiative.aspx


Contact
Andrew Kornacki
716-352-8669
andrew.a.kornacki@usace.army.mil

Release no. 15-002