In late summer and early fall 2023, NYSDEC mapped submerged aquatic vegetation through the Niagara River Tonawanda Channel from Beaver Island to Buckhorn Island, covering 27 miles of shoreline and about 1,800 acres of littoral zone. This effort was Year 1 of 3 of the most comprehensive survey of submerged aquatic vegetation on the Niagara River ever attempted. Using customized methods, NYSDEC sampled 2,600 locations and recorded 5,683 unique plant observations. River bottom hardness and plant biomass were simultaneously recorded using SONAR imaging and processed with BioBase software. Vegetation, depth, and substrate data will also inform Niagara River fish and wildlife habitat management.

This is a point feature class of all sampled points with overall density, species richness, biovolume, and hardness.