Tourists and residents alike have a new resource when accessing Erie County’s waterways.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has announced 15 new locations for its Blueway network of connected water trails. In addition to the new sites, the announcement comes with signs at each spot with maps and information about the Blueway.
The signs are critical as more than just directional resources, NYS Parks Niagara Regional Director Mark Mistretta said.
“There's an educational component there, but also many times understated is the environmental connection to our great river," he said. "The ecology and the environment of this water body is so critical, and these signs really allow us to educate the public to educate our visitors.”
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper unveiled the signage Monday at Beaver Island State Park on Grand Island, along with 14 other locations around Erie County.
Adding water trails to the Blueway network demonstrates the importance in Western New York’s past, present and future, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Executive Director Jill Jedlicka said.
“The original intent and vision of the Blueway network has always been to create opportunities for all residents and visitors to access, to learn more about, and to steward these waterways," she said. "We know that life thrives where water meets the land, and this is true in nature, just as it is with human society.”
The 15 new sites are in addition 10 locations that are either under construction or already completed.
The Buffalo and Erie County Greenway Fund Standing Committee has awarded more than $35 million toward projects along Niagara River and the Greenway since 2007.
