Houghton Conservation Area - Buffalo, NY

Snow-covered landscape with an iron bridge over a calm river, surrounded by bare winter trees.

Goals/Vision

The vision for the Houghton Conservation Area is to create improved public access, while maintaining the habitat for native vegetation and local wildlife. We hope to engage the community so that they can enjoy this Buffalo treasure while helping to restore and preserve the natural ecosystem for generations to come. Public access in the Houghton Conservation Area is currently available but could be improved by establishing a dedicated trail system. As a first step, the BNRLT will hold public meetings to gather input from community members. 

Specific goals include: 

  • Maintaining the land in its open and natural condition, protecting scenic and natural features for birds, fish, and wildlife. 

  • Providing opportunities for recreational use. 

  • Limiting development and prohibiting subdivision to protect the existing habitat to conserve and protect these natural resources.

Aerial view of a park area with dense trees, a residential neighborhood, parking lot, and a river labeled "Wolfkin River".

Recreational - Conservation Use

The site encourages passive recreational use, such as hiking and viewing of wildlife throughout the pathways. Additional input is being sought from the community regarding potential uses and site amenities.

Background

The Houghton Conservation Area, locally known as “the fields” or “the woods” includes approximately 24.56 acres along and near the north bank of the Buffalo River. It consists of a large, wooded area with mature trees, numerous paths, and a floodplain forest. Forested floodplains are important components of a healthy riverine system with diverse animal and plant communities. They provide shade to the streams/wetlands, temperature control, stabilize the stream banks with roots, and filter nutrient runoff from uplands. Habitat corridors are also important in that they provide a pathway for wildlife movement, which can link areas of a variety of habitat such as instream, mudflat, wetland, riparian edge, floodplain, and uplands.

A group of people walking on a gravel path in a forested area with green trees overhead.

Location & Map

The Houghton Conservation Area is bounded to the north by a Houghton Park parking lot and a succession of non-park parcels and City streets, including Spann Street, Fredo Street, Gorski Street, Weiss Street, and Weimar Street. The area is generally situated near or meets residential lots along these streets. It is bound to the south by the Buffalo RIver, the shoreline of which is a steep embankment.

Project Partners

  • City of Buffalo