The Town of Aurora can protect water quality, soil heath, and prevent stream bank erosion by protecting forested lands, wetlands, and open space.  To that end the following are recommended:

 

Erie County's Hazard Mitigation Plan-

Green infrastructure strategies from Erie County include recommendations such as bioretention to collect stormwater runoff.  Bioretention is an adapted landscape feature that provides onsite storage and infiltration of collected stormwater runoff.  Stormwater runoff is directed from surfaces to a shallow depression that allows runoff to pond prior to infiltration in an area that is planted with water-tolerant vegetation.  As runoff accumulates, it will pond and slowly travel through a filter bed where it either infiltrates into the ground or is discharged via an underdrain. Small-scale bioretention areas are often referred to as rain gardens.

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Healthy Niagara Watershed Management Plan-

The Healthy Niagara – Niagara River Watershed Management Plan Phase 1 (BNW, 2014) and Regional Niagara River Lake Erie Watershed Management Plan Phase 2 (Erie County, 2019) were authored by a collaborative effort between the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, and the Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance (LEWPA). The Plans provide analysis in 25 Key Findings, as well as subsequent recommendations. The full list of recommendations can be viewed by clinking the button below

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Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper-  

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper staff and volunteers are known as "the guardians of our regional waterways." Their mission is to protect and restore our area's water resources and surrounding ecosystems.  They have classified the Town of Aurora as a critical location within the Niagara River Watershed, known as the "Headwaters Region".  Headwaters are the initial water source for a river or stream and serve as a filter for drinking water. The Town of Aurora's primary watershed sources are the main, west, and east branches of Cazenovia Creek, and Tannery Brook. Waterkeeper recommends the following strategies specifically for the Town of Aurora:

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• Explore funding sources for infrastructure replacement/expansion for both drinking water and sewage systems.

• Maintain land conservation bordering Federal and State Wetlands and extend forest tracts that are not fragmented - a prime opportunity for land conservation through easements and/or acquisition in Emery Park and West Falls.

• Develop restoration plans for severely failing banks to limit erosion and nutrient influx.

• Engage with neighboring communities to develop a cross-municipal land conservation strategy to conserve shared resources (Holland, Elma, Wales, Village of East Aurora).​

• Engage residents regarding septic maintenance to protect well water sources and ground water quality throughout Aurora.

• Explore funding sources for living infrastructure and stormwater management.

• Provide additional training for town employees performing road maintenance on Davis Rd and other roadways adjacent to waterways to prevent excess road salt runoff.

  Waterfront Landowner Outreach & Education.

  Elevated phosphorus and nitrate levels are present throughout Cazenovia Creek (all branches) in Aurora. Through targeted education and best management practices, nutrient runoff from farms and residential lands can be reduced.

• Improve Fish Passage & Flow of Waterways. Improperly sized or placed culverts can impede the passage of fish and other wildlife through a stream. Culverts and other barriers can prevent these species from reaching food sources, spawning locations, or cold water habitats. 

• Work to eliminate NYSDEC classified impassable barriers along the East and West Branches of Cazenovia Creek.

• Explore solutions to erosion issues, beyond the use of rip-rap, with partner organizations including NYSDEC, USGS, and Erie County Soil and Water.

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Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper also lists the following examples of successful projects in the local Headwaters region:

 

• Partnered with The Nature Conservancy and Erie County in 2015 to protect a 222-acre forest at the headwaters of Eighteenmile Creek (Concord, NY)

• Partnered with US Fish & Wildlife Service site assessments to verify and update historical records of trout presence in the watershed.

• Verfification that Brook Trout are present in Headwaters of Cazenovia Creek, upstream of Aurora. 

• Culvert replacement completed in Orangeville with multiple partners including Waterkeeper .