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  • Loomis Creek Preserve
    Conservation

    All lands are part of a watershed: The water that flows across and through our lands feeds our streams, rivers and lakes. Natural landscapes protect our waters by filtering stormwater and slowing the flow of runoff through our watersheds so it can replenish ground water rather than contributing sediment and pollutants to our lakes and streams. To protect Chautauqua County’s waters, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy conserves lands that are essential to the health of the region’s watersheds and waterways. We currently own and steward 1,000 acres of nature preserves in Chautauqua County on 28 properties, all of which are open to the public for outdoor recreation. In addition to creating public nature preserves, we conserve Chautauqua’s natural landscapes by working with landowners to create conservation easements along sensitive streambanks, wetlands and shorelines.

  • Education

    Everyone within a watershed has an impact on water quality. The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy educates Chautauqua County’s property owners, government officials and school children on ways to reduce the flow of nutrients that lead to harmful algae blooms and nuisance plant growth in our lakes. We also share information on rain gardens, buffers, native plantings and other practices that can improve the health of Chautauqua’s watersheds, landscapes and waters. The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy provides public education through our award-winning newsletter, The ‘Shed Sheet, through public workshops, lectures and preserve tours, and by distributing literature on watershed stewardship.

  • Randy Allan Hendrickson Preserve
    Action

    The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy actively works to improve the health of our watershed. We work with landowners, local governments and partner organizations to restore failing streambanks to reduce erosion and pollution in our waterways, identify and address sources of pollution, and carry out landscaping and shoreline improvements. The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy constantly seeks projects to further our mission of preserving and enhancing the scenic beauty, ecological health and water quality of the Chautauqua region.

Our Latest News

  • Take A Virtual Wildflower Walk with Jack & Becky!
    05/09/2020

    Take A Virtual Wildflower Walk With Jack & Becky! Our annual Mother's Day Wildflower Walk has gone virtual for 2020! Take a tour of our Bentley Nature Preserve with naturalist Jack Gulvin and CWC President and biologist Becky Nystrom and …

  • Living Lawns or Pesticide Peril?
    04/14/2020

    By Becky Nystrom, CWC President Springtime is here, and the backyard beckons. Our lawns and landscapes grow more lush, lovely and greener with each new day. But green is not necessarily “green” from an environmental standpoint, especially when it comes …

  • A Special Message from CWC
    03/28/2020

    Dear CWC Friends and Supporters, On behalf of the CWC Board of Directors and Staff, we wish you health and safety during this COVID-19 time of concern and uncertainty as well as peace and resilience in the midst of it …

  • Lessons from the Lake: Making Sense of the Science
    03/05/2020

    By Rebecca Nystrom, CWC President   If only Chautauqua Lake, an ecological and economic treasure in our midst, could speak. How might we better understand and steward its complex ecosystems upon which so much aquatic life depends, while thoughtfully addressing …

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Our Preserves

CWC has conserved more than 1,000 acres of land and owns and manages 30 nature preserves throughout Chautauqua County, helping to provide clean and safe waters, healthy wildlife habitats and scenic beauty for the Chautauqua region!

Our Preverses

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