The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s Director of Conservation Twan Leenders briefs members of Jamestown City Council about the Chadakoin River Restoration Project. P-J file-photo

The 7.8-mile-long Chadakoin River will continue to get a structural and cosmetic facelift, courtesy of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.

Twan Leenders, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy conservation director, said additional funding has been secured to continue the river’s restoration and stabilization project.

“We received a grant from the state totaling around $328,00 for improving our waterways and the quality of the water in the Chadakoin River,” he said. “That’s kind of how we planned the project – apply for grants that feed into one another.”

Leenders explained that so far, all the invasive Tree of Heaven plants have been removed in Jamestown. Specifically, all the trees near the Riverwalk and by the train viaduct, near Brooklyn Square.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Tree of Heaven, identified as Ailanthus altissima- is a deciduous tree in the family Simaroubaceae. The plant is native to China and Taiwan. Additionally, the tree is an allelopathic, meaning the tree suppresses the growth of other plants native to the area by releasing toxic substances preventing other plants from growing.

Tree of Heaven plants also produce a lot of pollen which can cause allergies, and its leaves, branches, seeds, and bark can irritate skin. The trees are also the main host for the highly destructive spotted lanternfly. The lanternfly is a highly invasive, destructive pest from Asia which was discovered in the northeastern United States in 2014.

Leenders noted that the Watershed also removed other non-native or desired plant species this year.

“We also found and got rid of Black Locust plants and Norway Maple along the riverbank,” he said. “There were 20 Norway Maple trees we removed.”

Black Locust plant is native to the United States, but is an unfavorable plant species because the bark, leaves and wood are toxic to both humans and livestock alike. According to the New York State Department of Conservation, the Norway Maple is an invasive species, and was placed on the state’s Banned Invasive Plant List in 2013.

Leenders explained that the several trees were removed from the river basin because the tree roots were exposed, and the trees were leaning over the river.

“In some places the roots of these trees were weak. Some roots were exposed two and half feet down in the ground. There are rocks along the riverbank, but that’s not enough to preserve the bank,” he said. “The plan is to replace the trees with native oak trees that actually have value to the ecosystem.”

According to chautauquawatershed.org, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 1990 with a mission to preserve and enhance the quality, scenic beauty, and ecological health of the Chautauqua region’s lands and waters for our community.