Discharge from the Great Lakes Cheese facility devastated the stream in late August 2025
By Andrew Harris
Some good news from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the status of Ischua Creek in Cattaraugus County:
“DEC, in coordination with the NYSDOH – New York State Health Department, today lifted the recreational use advisory for Ischua Creek, Cattaraugus County. Water quality sampling and data collection along the creek show conditions have improved allowing for a return to normal fishing/fish consumption, boating, and swimming.
Lifting the recreational advisory reflects the months of hard work by DEC staff to diligently chronicle creek impacts and collaborate to bring Great Lakes Cheese into full compliance”
On August 30, we reported on the disaster which resulted in a massive fish-kill after discharge from the Great Lakes Cheese facility. That mix of dairy byproduct and waste effectively reduced oxygen levels in the stream and suffocated much of the aquatic life.
Since then the DEC has monitored the stream as the pollution disbursed downstream and Great Lakes Cheese cleaned up their act.
In early October of this year, the DEC fined Great Lakes Cheese $475,000 and demanded corrective action.
Read our reporting on the initial disaster:
