Times Beach Nature Preserve

In 1987, the New York State Department of State designated the Times Beach area as a significant coastal fish and wildlife habitat to protect one of the state's most important coastal habitats. Times Beach Nature Preserve is one of the few sizable wetland areas along the New York shoreline of Lake Erie, and although it is man-made, it has become an important fish and wildlife habitat. Its variety of ecological communities attracts a diversity of species unusual in this coastal region, especially within the Buffalo metropolitan area. The site lies on an important flyway for migratory birds, and its location at the eastern end of Lake Erie makes it a focal point for water-oriented birds moving along the lake's north and south shores. Times Beach contains several distinct physical zones, including a deep water zone up to about six feet in depth with submergent aquatic plants, a low-lying mud or silt flat zone, and a gradually sloping shallow water zone containing tall herbs, grasses, and stands of trees and shrubs. The lakeward side is surrounded by porous stone dikes that allow water depths to vary with lake levels. Because of this unusual diversity, Times Beach has become one of the most popular bird observation and study sites in the Niagara Frontier. In 2004, it was officially designated as a nature preserve, and public access opened with boardwalk trails and two wildlife viewing blinds overlooking the open water area.

Buffalo, New York · United States