Scajaquada Creek feasibility study aims to address vegetation, aquatic life issues
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A meeting was held Tuesday in Cheektowaga where residents asked questions about how a feasibility study on the Scajaquada Creek will be conducted.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeep and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed off on a feasibility study last year. The study aims to address issues with the creek. Officials say the areas vegetation is sparse, which is having a negative impact on aquatic life.
The feasibility study is also hoping to offset negative environmental impacts that are a result from the original Scajaquada Creek Flood Risk Management Project constructed in 1981.
Officials with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper said after the project, infrastructure surrounding the Scajaquada Creek Watershed continued.
The Walden Galleria Mall was built in the late 1980s on top of wetland and floodplain habitat in the Town of Cheektowaga. This led to less wetland for several species and the overall health of the watershed has since been severely degraded.
“As part of the feasibility study, we’ll look at different options for habitat restoration, coordinate those with the public and our partners, and ultimately come to a recommended plan that can move forward to construction,” said Jennie Brancho, lead planner and biologist.
The focus of the study is on approximately six miles of the creek channel upstream of Pine Ridge Road in Cheektowaga.
Those who proposed the study said this has a much wider impact on Erie County as a whole.
“My concerns are about the residents and the people in my neighborhood to make sure we have information we can use and take back,” said Ellen Harris-Harvey, a community advisory group member. “To let people know what it’s doing to our environment and how we can combat that.”
One of the biggest impairments for the Scajaquada Creek is sewage coming from the local waterways. While there have been a lot of investments in the last 10 years to fix the issues, it’s still an ongoing problem.
There are some things residents can do at home to help.
“From the average person, the average homeowner perspective, things like participating in shoreline cleanup efforts, undertaking solo sweeps, those types of activities,” said Kerrie Gallo, deputy executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. “Reaching out to your elected officials to tell them you care about your waterway, and you want to see better water quality and you want to see improvements happen.”
It has not been decided on how the study will be conducted.
On Tuesday, residents were able to write down any questions or concerns they had about several different proposals.
Once decided and the study is conducted, engineers will help develop solutions with the goal of improving the vital waterway.
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Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.
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