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Volunteers install storm drain markers to remind residents about water quality for the Tonawanda

By Howard B. Owens

Information and photos provided by Elizabeth Bentley-Huber.

Boy Scouts Tristan Korzelius, Jake Houseknecht and Ryan Missel installed storm drain markers in the City of Batavia on Saturday as part of an ongoing effort by the Tonawanda Creek Watershed Committee to remind people that what goes down storm drains has a direct impact on the quality of water in the Tonawanda.

A dozen volunteers installed 253 medallions over storm drain inlets throughout the city.

Tonawanda Creek committee members and local volunteers have also installed these markers in the Village of Attica, hamlets of Varysburg, North Java and Johnsonburg. Last year members installed medallions in the City of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda.

If you are interested in joining this effort or have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Bentley-Huber at Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District at 585-343-2362 or at Elizabeth.Bentley-Huber@ny.nacdnet.net.

Kirk Peryea and Lucy Pietrzykowski

Kirk Peryea, Lucy Pietrzykowski, Greg Houseknecht, Jake Houseknecht, Tristan Korzelius, Ryan Missel, Robert Cassatt, Molly Stetz. Absent: James Tuttle, Les Winters, David Winters, Addison Winters. These volunteers installed 253 medallions over storm drains in the City of Batavia on July 27, 2013.

shelly mathers

the tonawanda creek is so gross and basically a garbage creek.. its so disgusting. there are some spots on the creek near where i live that are so backed up with garbage that you can barely get through in a boat. YUCK! Kudos to these volunteers though!

Jul 31, 2013, 11:42am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Thanks Erika those wonderful words of hope and encouragement are just the reason the creek is the way it is. Way to inspire people to be active in the creek's future. In my experience a creek that can support fish like bass pike and panfish isn't such a garbage creek or they wouldn't be there. People used to say the same things about Lake Erie and the Erie Canal but they are coming back around despite people looking down their nose at them.

Jul 31, 2013, 12:28pm Permalink

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