The wetlands of Braddock Bay, northwest of Rochester on the south shore of Lake Ontario, support breeding populations of at-risk marsh bird species. Braddock Bay is also home to one of the world’s largest spring hawk flights, and thousands of waterfowl during migration.
The Braddock Bay region has been identified by Audubon scientists as one of the 12 most important coastal wetland regions across the Great Lakes that are most important to conserve or restore for vulnerable marsh birds.
In 2021, Audubon Great Lakes and partners New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, SUNY-Brockport and Genesee Valley Audubon Society completed a multi-year wetlands restoration project to transform Cranberry Pond, located within the Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area—a globally significant Important Bird Area (IBA). The project utilized a restoration technique known as potholing and channeling that creates interspersed pools (potholes) and strips (channels) of water that fish and birds need.
Partners on this project include Ducks Unlimited, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, State University of New York, Brockport and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Community-driven collaboration and coordinated local and federal action emerge as top priorities at annual Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition Conference in Rochester, New York
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