Owasco Flats Wildlife Management Area Adds 92 Acres in Town of Moravia

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Nature Conservancy of New York announced yesterday the addition of 92 acres to the Owasco Flats Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located in the Town of Moravia. The DEC says the addition more than doubles the size of the WMA and will offer new and enhanced public recreation opportunities.

“Doubling the acres of Owasco Flats Wildlife Management Area is great news for Owasco Lake water quality, habitat preservation of diverse wildlife and fish species, and public recreational opportunities for people of varying ages and abilities,” said DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “DEC is grateful to The Nature Conservancy for its leadership and partnership in protecting and enhancing nearly 100 acres of wetlands, floodplain riparian buffers, open fields, and forested areas.”

The added parcel will feature public access to 5,000 feet of the Owasco Inlet shoreline and will bring fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, brown trout, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, brown bullhead, and white sucker. According to the DEC, the inlet is a primary spawning stream for both rainbow and brown trout for the Owasco Lake watershed.

The parcel was acquired by the DEC from a donation from The Nature Conservancy. The land was originally acquired by the organization as a donation from the Dale C. Parmley Trust. The land was originally used for farmland, but in 2019, the Conservancy began to seed the area with native vegetation and planted 2,000 trees along the riverbank and uplands to prevent erosion and to protect water quality.

“DEC and partners plan on continuing to enhance and expand wetlands on Owasco Flats WMA. In 2024, DEC awarded Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU), more than $252,000 from the State’s Water Quality Improvement Project program funding to create and restore wetlands on the WMA. When implemented, the new shallow floodplain wetlands will improve waterfowl habitat and mitigate flood impacts to protect water quality in Owasco Lake and the inlet.”

The DEC said in a release.

More information, including maps of the lands, may be found on the DEC’s website, HERE.