Erie County Red Jacket Park

Project Description

Restoring the shoreline of Red Jacket Park was one of the final steps in a larger effort to improve habitat quality along a stretch of the Buffalo River that was designated a Great Lakes Area of Concern. The effort began with dredging to remove contaminated sediment from the river bottom. Once that effort was complete, the County Department of Environment and Planning hired Biohabitats, working as a subconsultant to Wendel, to restore Red Jacket Natural Habitat Park's 800 linear feet of shoreline.

The goals of the project were to improve fish and wildlife habitat by creating a mosaic of escape and forage habitat and restoring valuable shallow-water areas with a rich vegetation community. Biohabitats led the restoration design efforts and completed an ecological assessment of the park, which included an invasive species inventory. Biohabitats also planned the management and monitoring of the restoration.

A new series of rock weirs along the shoreline encourages the deposition of sediment and replaces critical shallow-water habitat lost during the dredging. Submerged aquatic vegetation and emergent vegetation provide additional habitat. Invasive species were treated in the riparian areas, and a "living" fence was planted along the property lines to limit invasive plant encroachment and provide habitat and a native seed source.