On Thursday, April 16, 2026, four RIT students gave an excellent presentation on their Capstone Project: a monitoring program developed in partnership with Genesee RiverWatch for the Oatka Creek Streambank Restoration. This monitoring protocol will track the condition of the restored streambank over the next 3 to 5 years, allowing for an in-depth evaluation of its long-term effectiveness. The project aims to improve Oatka Creek’s ecological health and evaluate the effectiveness of these restoration techniques.

In addition, the students presented the results of their investigation to develop an efficient water quality protocol for the Genesee River Watershed. In 2013 SUNY Brockport led a large-scale study to characterize the water quality in the Genesee River Watershed. While this study yielded valuable results for the region, it is difficult to reproduce. To obtain updated measurements and analyses of the river’s water quality, a more efficient protocol needed to be developed, which the RIT students have researched and completed.