BUFFALO, NY – Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper announced today $100,000 in state funding for the organization’s Riverwatch and RestoreCorps programs.

The capital investment will provide laboratory supplies, transportation logistics support, and field gear needed for Waterkeeper to fill critical gaps in water quality monitoring and regional adaptive management of natural habitats and public spaces.

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper’s Riverwatch and RestoreCorps programs are core to the organization’s mission of protecting and restoring our Great Lakes ecosystems. With over 5,500 miles of streams and 21% of the world’s fresh surface water in our region, Waterkeeper’s Riverwatch program has expanded in recent years and fills critical gaps in government services through real-time, water quality monitoring and data collection. The organization is often the first line of defense in alerting the public to potential threats to human health attributed to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and E. coli bacterial contamination in local waterways.

Similarly, Waterkeeper’s RestoreCorps program fills a gap in regional adaptive management that is needed to maintain investments in restored shorelines, habitats, and public natural assets.

Among the capital expenditures to be covered by these funds, Waterkeeper will be able to purchase equipment to support on-water monitoring as well as instruments for lab assessment, microbiological observations and data collection for the Riverwatch program, and field gear and equipment related to plantings and restoration efforts for the RestoreCorps program.

For decades, Waterkeeper has utilized individual donor funds and grant requests to local philanthropic organizations or government agencies to purchase needed equipment and supplies for these programs. Though grateful for the long-time and ongoing support coming from within the WNY community, the unpredictable nature of grants, the trending decline in individual giving in recent years, and the increasing costs of these materials have made it more challenging to fully support this work every year.

At a time when water quality issues are expanding while environmental investments are decreasing, having this crucial support from the State of New York makes a significant difference in the organization’s ability to continue this important work.

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper plays a vital role in safeguarding one of our region’s most valuable natural resource: our water. I am proud to secure $100,000 in capital funding to support the expansion of their Riverwatch and RestoreCorps programs, which are essential to protecting the health of our waterways and the communities that depend on them. From real-time water quality monitoring to hands-on restoration efforts, this investment will equip Waterkeeper with the tools they need to continue serving as a first line of defense against threats like harmful algal blooms and bacterial contamination. By strengthening these programs, we are not only protecting our Great Lakes ecosystem, but also ensuring a cleaner, safer environment for generations to come.”

Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper said, “For more than three decades, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has pursued scientific knowledge of the health of our local waterways and served as a guardian for our region’s freshwater resources. Whether it is the front-line information and data we collect in the field or the staff and volunteers we deploy to local ecosystems for adaptive ecosystem management, this work requires specialized equipment and supplies for every season. Waterkeeper’s work continues to fill data gaps and functions that local, or state government agencies are unable to provide, and we are grateful to Assemblyman Rivera for his partnership to seek out and secure crucial funds for the benefit of our WNY community.”