In many ways the story of the City of Buffalo is the story of different bodies of water. Three of them are well-documented: Lake Erie, the Niagara River, and the Erie Canal.
One of the area’s lesser-known vital bodies of water is Scajaquada Creek. The creek is 13 miles long with a 29 square mile sub-watershed. From its source in Lancaster the creek flows west through the village of Depew before it is submerged at Pine Ridge Road. From there the creek flows underground until it re-emerges at Forest Lawn Cemetery and continues on a westerly course until it joins the Niagara River in Black Rock.
The length of the creek and the size of its watershed make it of vital ecological importance to the greater Buffalo area. The ecological issues that led to and were caused by the burying of the creek are of pressing concern in the area, and a number of plans have been discussed for unburying the creek to revitalize it as an economic corridor and to improve the ecological health of the region.
In September 2024 the Black Rock Riverside Alliance joined up with the Black Rock Historical Society and the Scajaquada Corridor Coalition with the support of the Baird Foundation, City Councilor Joseph Golombek and the ECEMC to hold a four-installment speaker series at the Burchfield Penney Art Center dedicated to examining the historical, ecological, and economic aspects of the Scajaquada Creek watershed and its potential restoration.
September 03: History of Scajaquada Creek, from Indigenous to Industrial
On September 03, Ryan F. Austin, Ph.D., RPA, University at Buffalo, Dept of Archeology and Jason Corwin PhD, clinical assistant professor of Indigenous Studies, University at Buffalo and member of Seneca Nation Deer Clan spoke about the history of the Scajaquada Creek region, providing information on the watershed prior to European colonization of the area up into the 1800s.
September 10: Environmental Importance of the Creek – Visioning the Potential
On the second night of the speaker series, Connie Adams and Erin Redding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spoke about the importance of Scajaquada Creek and its watershed to local wildlife, detailing native bird and other animal species and the impact the covering of the creek had on local wildlife, along with discussion of the positive impact on animal life revitalizing the creek might have. Sandra Smith from Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper discussed ongoing environmental improvements along the Scajaquada Creek waterfront.
September 17: Power of the Creek – Flowing towards Economic Development
On September 17, Richardson-Olmsted Campus President Paris Roselli and Shakespeare in Delaware Park Executive Director Lisa Ludwig discussed the revitalization of the Scajaquada Creek Corridor and how it could act as an economic driver for the city. The GBNRTC’s Hal Morse discussed the Region Central Project, going over the current plans for environmental and infrastructural revitalization of the creek.
September 24: Moving to Action
On September 24, Dr. Mary Anne Kedron of the BRRAlliance and Black Rock Historical Society recapped the presentations of the previous three weeks of presentations, after which an extensive discussion was held with the audience by Dr. Kedron, Hal Morse from the GBNRTC and New York State Senator Sean M. Ryan.
Attendees at this speaker series said that at its conclusion they felt better educated about the history of the Scajaquada watershed and its environmental and economic importance to the greater Buffalo area. This speaker series provided a vital opportunity for people to learn more about the plans for revitalization of the creek and the role developers are planning for it to play in Buffalo’s future, and how this ties in with the history of the creek and the development of the city, thus bringing this important body of water full circle so that a restored and healthy creek is once again pre-eminent in a healthy, economically strong community.
We would like to thank our supporters, our presenters, and everyone who attended the Scajaquada Full Circle speaker series! We’re looking forward to putting on more events like this one to engage with the public, provide education and gain feedback on important topics like Scajaquada Creek in 2025 and beyond!
Additional Information:
The GBNRTC’s Region Central Plan
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper’s Community-Driven Scajaquada Restoration Plan