Habitat Restoration in Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Niagara River
NOAA-GLC Regional Habitat Restoration Partnership
About Niagara River Habitat Restoration
The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are leading efforts to restore several critical Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) — the worst “toxic hotspots” in the region. The Niagara River was declared an Area of Concern in the late 1980’s due to a number of concerns including loss of fish and wildlife habitat. In 1994, the Niagara River Remedial Action Committee designated RCWJCP (formerly LaSalle Park) as a priority habitat site to be protected and restored. The Niagara River Remedial Advisory Committee’s Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat Work Group released the “Niagara River Area of Concern Habitat Restoration Plan” in October of 2019 which lists RCWJCP as their highest priority for funding in order to restore the Area of Concern.
Additional information about the vision and planning process for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park, can be found at https://regional-institute.buffalo.edu/work/imagine-lasalle/.
More about Niagara River Restoration
Coming soon
Benefits of Restoration
Environmental Benefits:
- Restored approximately two acres of degraded coastal wetland marsh habitat
- Enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, primarily shallow water fish spawning locations.
Economic Benefits:
- Increased recreation, tourism, and sport-fishing opportunities
Community Benefits:
- Increased water based recreation (kayaking, paddling, wildlife viewing) at Lake St. Clair Metropark
- Improved water quality and ecosystem health
- Improved fishing and fish spawning at a popular publicly accessible location.
Documents and Fact Sheets
The following fact sheets and documents provide additional information about the Niagara River project and specific elements of the project.
News Coverage
- Centennial Park Construction to start in mid-June | April 2023
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Work beginning on Centennial Park as BUDC gets $24.5 million from Wilson Foundation grant | December 2022
- Millions coming to Ralph C. Wilson Park to improve waterfront access | December 2022
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Hundreds of trees taken down at Ralph Wilson Park | December 2022
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Phase I of new Ralph Wilson Park is set to start this month | November 2022
- Groundbreaking for $110 million Ralph Wilson Park improvements | July 2022
- Ralph Wilson Park – A New Day for Buffalo’s Waterfront | July 2022
- Groundbreaking held at Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park | July 2022
- Crews break ground on $110M Ralph Wilson Park project | July 2022
- Wilson Centennial Park grows in scope, cost | December 2021
- Centennial Park waterfront work gets $1 million in federal funds | March 2021
- Two city park projects receive a boost | June 2020
Funding
The Niagara River Area of Concern has received over $11 million of funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Great Lakes Commission Regional Partnership. The GLRI is a federal program designed to protect and restore that largest system of fresh surface water in the world—the Great Lakes.
For More Information
Jill Estrada
Coastal Conservation and Habitat Restoration
Senior Program Specialist, Great Lakes Commission
734‐396‐6059 • [email protected]
Rebecca Gandour
Executive Vice President, Buffalo Urban Development Corporation
716-856-6525
[email protected]
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