Teatown Lake dredge project begins

Due to dredging taking place in Teatown Lake, a portion of Lakeside Loop from the Wildflower Woods gate to the Boathouse will be temporarily inaccessible. The back section of the Blinn Road parking lot will be closed until further notice, most likely until the end of 2025.

A soft close of a section of Lakeside Trail will begin Friday, February 21, with full closure by Friday, February 28. The trail will be closed from the gate of Wildflower Woods to the Boathouse. People hiking from the Nature Center will be directed to enter the gate at Wildflower Woods to walk the Lakeside Trail. People parking in the Blinn Road lot will be directed to use Three Lakes and the Shortcut to the Boathouse to access the Lakeside Trail. This closure will last a couple of months.

During this time, please use the Shortcut (SC) accessible from the section of Three Lakes Loop (TL) to reroute yourself to and from the Nature Center. (See the trail map above.)

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding, as this dredging will aid in the restoration of Teatown Lake.

Teatown Lake dredging project: FAQs

What is a dredge?
A dredge is the process of cleaning out the bed of a body of water by removing out mud, weeds, and debris.

Why are you dredging Teatown Lake?
Dredging increases the longevity of a waterbody and will have many benefits to Teatown Lake:
– Restoration of open water is paramount to protect Wildflower Island
– Improvement of habitat for aquatic plants and wildlife
– Eradication of deep-rooted, aggressive plants to improve biodiversity
– Increased water depth and lake water quality

Where are you dredging?
The dredge will occur along the channel by Wildflower Island and alongside a portion of Lakeside Trail. Dredging will also take place in the late spring alongside Bergman’s Boardwalk.

How long will the dredge take?
The dredge will take several months to remove the mud and weeds using equipment. After the sediment is sucked up, it will sit in geotubes to remove water from sediment through Fall 2025.

How long will part of the Blinn Road parking lot be closed?
The back section of the Blinn Road parking area will be closed until Winter 2025.

How long will Lakeside Trail be closed?
A portion of Lakeside Trail will be closed until Summer 2025.

How does the dredge affect wildlife?
We are taking precautions to protect wildlife, including soft-starting equipment to scare off birds and turtles, as well as having our stewardship staff onsite periodically.

Any other questions, comments, or concerns can be sent to Thom Almendinger (talmendinger@teatown.org) and/or Meghan Leverock (mleverock@teatown.org).

Teatown receives land trust accreditation

On February 13, Teatown received national recognition as an Accredited Land Trust from the Land Trust Alliance’s Land Trust Accreditation Commission— joining a network of more than 450 accredited land trusts across the United States that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.

Read more about this exciting achievement here.

Teatown & Con Edison partner for new Urban Climate Resiliency Program

Teatown has received a $30,000 grant from Con Edison for its new Urban Climate Resiliency Program. This project will educate members of the general public about pressing environmental concerns in their communities and actions they can take to positively influence climate change impacts.

Teatown will present a series of workshops in urban settings in Westchester County, focusing on educating about how inner cities are “heat islands” and discussing ways citizens can make their communities more climate resilient. The presentations will include topics such as waste reduction, recycling and composting efforts, green infrastructure solutions (e.g., rain gardens, community gardens, permeable pavements), road salt reduction, vehicle use reduction, and increased tree and vegetative cover.

The workshops will be held at centrally located sites such as community centers and public libraries. To reduce barriers to attendance, the presentations will be live-streamed.

The program will be co-directed and implemented by Dr. Amy Karpati, Teatown’s Senior Science Advisor, and Bob Elliott, Teatown’s Community Environmentalist and director of the Environmental Leaders Learning Alliance (ELLA).

Teatown is grateful for Con Edison’s ongoing support of our innovative programs and our mission to inspire our community to lifelong environmental stewardship.