Restoring Wolcott Creek
Throughout 2019, ASLF piloted a community-driven planning process aimed at protecting and restoring critical waterways in the Village of Wolcott, Wayne County, New York. With support from the New York Sea Grant and in collaboration with the Village, ASLF conducted a series of workshops to identify and prioritize community goals for the Wolcott Creek watershed and developed a portfolio of restoration projects aimed at reaching those goals and improving water quality and other natural resource values in Wolcott Creek, Mill Pond, and Wolcott Falls.
Community-Driven Watershed Restoration
Wolcott Creek, Mill Pond, and Wolcott Falls are critical cultural, economic, and natural resources for the surrounding community. Wolcott Creek flows through the center of the Village of Wolcott, where it is dammed to create Mill Pond. Just downstream, a park with hiking trails has been established around Wolcott Falls, which is featured in multiple guides to New York waterfalls. However, these resources are threatened by stormwater and nutrient runoff, an overgrowth of algae, and the emergence of invasive species among other issues.
At our first workshop, on April 30, 2019, stakeholders identified their vision for the Wolcott Creek watershed and prioritized barriers to be overcome and resources to be enhanced to achieve that vision. Next, using Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) principles, which integrate ecological, economic, social, and scientific factors, ASLF will develop conceptual projects to address those priorities. In the Fall 2019 workshop, stakeholders learned about the proposals and their intended benefits and provided additional input on the projects’ shape and prioritization. The final product, which was based on community knowledge and priorities and ASLF’s own expertise in environmental management and green design, was one actionable project plan and a portfolio of additional project options along with a funding strategy for each.