Genesee RiverWatch
Genesee RiverWatch hosted its 10th annual Genesee River Basin Summit on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The topic of this year’s summit was “The Future of the Basin”. It brought together key stakeholders, experts and community members to discuss and collaborate on strategies and plans to enhance the environmental, economic and recreational aspects of the Genesee River Basin. The complete agenda and presentations are linked below.
Among the topics discussed, attendees learned about the NY Department of Conservation commitment to the Genesee River Watershed and the City of Rochester’s Roc the Riverway initiative.
RACF Sponsorship
Genesee RiverWatch is grateful to the Rochester Area Community Foundation for sponsoring this year’s Summit event. RACF was also the sponsor of our inaugural Summit in 2014. We thank them for this support and for their commitment to the future of the Genesee River as a community resource.
50th Anniversary Recognition
Genesee RiverWatch counts itself as the area’s oldest locally established environmental organization. At the Summit, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans issued a proclamation honoring the organization for its half-century of service, saying its work was “critical to our well-being, quality of life and the future of our community.”
The Future of the Basin: Agenda & Presentations
| Time | Topic | Presentation(s) | Presenter(s) |
| 8:00 to 8:30 | Registration | Continental Breakfast | VISIT EXHIBITS |
| 8:30 to 9:00 | Welcome | 1. Welcome 2. CEI/Genesee RiverWatch 50th Anniversary Celebration | 1. Steve Orr – Genesee RiverWatch 2. Mike Haugh – Genesee RiverWatch |
| 9:00 to 10:15 | Basin-wide Initiatives | 1. Genesee RiverWatch: Formation, Current and Future Work 2. Genesee River Watershed Implementation Plan | 1. George Thomas – Genesee RiverWatch 2. Ryan Elliott – NYS Department of Environmental Conservation |
| 10:15 to 10:45 | BREAK | Coffee Refresh | VISIT EXHIBITS |
| 10:45 to 12:15 | Why should we care about the river? | 1. City of Rochester Perspective 2. Economic Development Perspective – ROC the Riverway | 1. Malik Evans – Mayor, City of Rochester 2. Vinnie Esposito – NYS Economic Development |
| 12:15 to 1:00 | LUNCH | Provided | VISIT EXHIBITS |
| 1:00 to 1:15 | Awards | Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Awards | |
| 1:15 to 2:45 | Regional Perspectives | 1. Allegany County 2. Livingston County | 1. Kier Dirlam – Allegany County Planning 2. Kelly Burns – Livingston County Tourism |
| 2:45 to 3:00 | BREAK | Cookies & Beverage Provided | VISIT EXHIBITS |
| 3:00 to 4:30 | Recreational Opportunities | 1. Paddling in the Upper Basin 2. Paddling in the Lower & Middle Basin 3. Recreational Initiative in the Upper Basin | 1. Rebecca Rowley – Genesee River Wilds 2. Amanda Matkosky – Genesee RiverWatch 3. Anna Huizenga – Houghton University |
| 4:30 to 4:45 | Wrap-up | Next Steps | Genesee RiverWatch |