Town of Manlius West Branch Limestone Creek Study
Finding Natural Solutions to a Growing Erosion Challenge.
For more than a decade, streambank erosion along West Branch Limestone Creek has threatened critical infrastructure in the Town of Manlius. A stretch of the creek between NYS Route 173 and the Main Branch had experienced significant erosion, putting an underground sewer trunk line at risk and requiring the relocation of overhead electrical lines twice within a decade.
Recognizing the need for a long-term solution, the Town of Manlius turned to LaBella for help securing grant funding and developing a watershed-wide study to better understand the causes of erosion and identify opportunities to protect the creek, surrounding community, and critical infrastructure.
With LaBella’s assistance, the Town secured funding for the study. LaBella then took a watershed-wide approach, combining historical research, field observations, precipitation data, and flood modeling to understand how water moves through the watershed and how current and future storm events could affect the creek and surrounding areas.
The study identified a range of short-, intermediate-, and long-term strategies to reduce erosion and improve the watershed’s resilience. Recommendations included stabilizing eroded streambanks with natural materials, expanding floodplain areas to give floodwaters more room to spread, and exploring the potential reintroduction of beavers to help retain water within a proposed floodplain storage area.
Rather than focusing on a single engineered solution, LaBella’s recommendations considered the bigger picture—including flood mitigation, ecological restoration, site access, and community perspectives. The result was a practical roadmap that balances infrastructure protection with opportunities to work with the natural systems already shaping the watershed.
Completed in May 2025, the study is now helping the Town build partnerships with neighboring municipalities and pursue grant funding to turn the recommendations into action—supporting a healthier, more resilient West Branch Limestone Creek watershed for years to come.
