On October 31, 2019, we experienced a Lake Erie seiche event spurring a seven-foot increase in water levels along the Buffalo Metro shoreline. Times beach Nature Preserve was specifically impacted by this high water event sustaining significant damage to the boardwalk and trail system while depositing more than 3,000 cubic yards of debris and received an official disaster declaration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in December 2019.

Since then, Erie County has been working with our partners at FEMA on a plan to return the site to its pre-disaster condition. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic has lead to significant delays in the funding and project approval process administered by FEMA and it is unlikely that any work will commence until at least spring 2021. And, as such, we regret to inform you that Times Beach Nature Preserve will remain closed to the public indefinitely.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work towards restoring Times Beach so that we can safely enjoy all that this natural habitat area has to offer.