2008 Fall Beach Sweep

Hardworking volunteers from across Western New York partnered with the Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER to participate in the annual Fall Beach Sweep on Saturday morning, September 20, 2008 and helped clean up the shoreline along Scajaquada Creek, Ellicott Creek, Buffalo and Niagara Rivers and many other tributaries.

Cleanup crews picked up trash that included clothing, drinking bottles, shopping carts, mattresses, and car parts. An exciting find was a canine skull at Amherst State Park. The ambitious volunteers went an extra step further by painting over graffiti under the elevated portion of the highway and whacking back weeds that are invading the natural habitat along the creek. 600 Participants from local neighborhoods joined students from McKinley High School, South Park High School Green Team, Houghton College, Canisus College, and Buffalo State College in making a difference in their community.

Following the cleanup, hundreds of participants attended the Volunteer Appreciation party at the American Legion Post 1041 on Amherst Street that was sponsored by the Grant Amherst Business Association and Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER.

The event was made possible by sponsorships from the M & T Charitable Foundation, Teva, Mark Kubiniec and the Grant Amherst Business Association, Commander Tom O’Connell and the Niagara Frontier American Legion Post l041, Wegmans, Tops, Wal Mart, and Target.

News from Ellicott Creek

Ellicott Creek Captain Mark Casper has this update to share with us:

Collected coliform samples from wooden bridge in Amherst St Park, and just below the bridge over Glen Ave. at Glen Falls. The creek level is low (2.3 feet at Sheridan Dr monitoring point) due to ice forming - but not yet frozen over at either site. Outdoor Temp 19 deg F. Water temp 32 deg F. A walk by the Williamsville sewer overflow and siphon-under-the-creek site yield a slight sewage smell, but no obvious grey water - the overflow pipe is plugged at the creek but leaking and running in from several points - but running pretty clear. The cesspool behind the Glen Fitness Center remains clear.

I have kayaked this stretch several times lately - a big spill of styrofoam peanuts along a good stretch of the bank, fallen trees have been cleared out by the Town of Amherst. A really fun time like a giant waterslide with the rapids squeezed higher by the frozen banks and ice coating the creek bottom in the shallows. A beaver has been very busy trying to topple an 18" dia tree down by the Old Motherhouse. I love this creek.

Mark Casper
Riverkeeper Captain
Jan 23, 2008

I agree Mark! Thanks for sending us the news.