October 2026 Conservation Report
A lot of work and projects were accomplished this past year. Here is a summary of all we have done:
- In April we had a tree panting on Vandermark Creek which is a tributary to the Upper Genesse River that has a good population of wild brook trout.
- On Earth Day the chapter partnered with National Fuel on a stream clean up on 18 Mile creek off Lake Erie. 4 public fishing sites were cleared of trash and debris.
- During the summer the chapter along with the Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Division, NYDEC and USFWS completed a stream bank restoration and habitat improvement project on Mansfield Creek. 7 Lunker structures were built by TU volunteers and installed with logs and rip rap to stabilize eroded bank and provide fish habitat. Tree planting was done this past fall in the project area.
- Also, during the summer chapter volunteers assisted the NYDEC in electroshocking studies on numerous Region 9 trout streams.
- In September the chapter completed another conifer tree project with Northeast TU biologist Kyle Glenn on Trout Brook in Wyoming county. 100 plus Xmas trees were installed along 150 feet of bank to help control erosion and provide habitat for wild brook trout. A few members from the Canandaigua chapter of TU joined us and gave us a hand. Thanks.
- Our partnership with the Genesse Valley BOCES conservation program continues to be strong. Students milled stakes for our tree planting tubes. They also performed machine work on Crow Creek this past September. 3 rock riffle sites were built to help stabilize flows and protect habitat structures above and below the culvert that was replaced a few years ago on this wild Brook Trout water. Special thanks to program leader Jerry Krajna and his students for all their help.
- This past September TU National awarded WNYTU a $6900 grant through the Embrace a Stream program. This money will be used for a 2027 stream project on Wiscoy Creek. During the first week of December 2027 additional fundraising for the project will be made available for anyone interested in supporting the Wiscoy project. Embrace a Stream will match $500 for 50 individual $10 donations. Further details in the newsletter.
Looking ahead to 2027, in addition to the Wiscoy project we will be assisting in a culvert replacement project on Trout Brook, another Conifer project and a channel relocation project on Vandermark Creek with TU Northeast and Kyle Glenn. More information will be made available as the year goes on. I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to the WNYTU board, TU Northeast, NYDEC, Wyoming and Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Divisions, USFWS for all the support. Special thanks to all the volunteers that help make these projects successful and possible. The trout thank you too!
Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan