Times Beach Nature Preserve

Times Beach Nature Preserve. The Industrial Heritage Trail. In 1987, the New York State Department of State designated the Times Beach area as a significant coastal fish and wildlife habitat. This designation is aimed at protecting the state's most important coastal habitats. Times Beach Nature Preserve is one of the few sizable wetland areas long the New York shoreline of Lake Erie. Although the area is man-made, it has become an important fish and wildlife habitat. The variety of ecological communities at Times Beach attracts a diversity of species that are unusual in this coastal region, especially within the Buffalo metropolitan area. , The site lies on an important flyway for migratory birds, a key factor enhancing its potential for wildlife. Its location at the eastern end of Lake Erie makes it a focal point for water-oriented birds moving along the north and south shores of the lake. , Times Beach contains several distict physical zones, including a deep water zone up to about six feet in depth, with submergent aquatic plants; a low-lying mud or slit flat zone; a gradually sloping shallow water zone, containing tall herbs, grasses and stands of trees and shrubs. The lakeward side of the area is surrounded by porous stone dikes, allowing water depths to vary with lake levels. , As a result of the unusual diversity found at Times Beach, it has become one of the most popular bird observation and study sites in the Niagara Frontier. In 2004, Times Beach was officially designated as a nature preserve, and public access opened, including boardwalk trails and two wildlife viewing blinds overlooking the open water area. , [photo] Times Beach Nature Preserve, circa 2008. Image source: Pictometry International via Bing Maps, Microsoft Corp.