It's a wonderful thing for a community to live side by side with a river, and it is perhaps especially comforting when your neighbor is a river like the Mohawk. The Erie Canal and  Mohawk River is at once proud in bearing yet gentle in nature. It is a defining feature of our contemporary landscape, yet it carries within its waters all the patina of history. One knows, instinctively, that this serene river has shaped our beautiful Mohawk Valley, it has influenced the rise of our city of Amsterdam and surrounding area, and it continues to assert its presence as it ribbons its way down the valley.

But we simply want more of this wonderful canal.

We want to sit on its banks. Fish at its shores. Go boating on its waters. We want to listen to the lapping of water while we picnic on a summer afternoon. We want to watch the boaters come and go.  Listen to the band, watch the play, or partake in the festival at the amphitheater.  We want - we need - the Erie Canal to be more a part of our community.

Greater Amsterdam Riverlink Park can give us all these pleasures.

This imaginative use of our waterfront gives Amsterdam access to the Mohawk in a way we never had before, A pedestrian bridge leads us safely across the rail tracks. The waterfront land one arrives at has all the amenities needed for both passive and active recreation. Riverlink Park gives residents, and visitors safe access to a sensibly developed waterfront. It provides canal users with a destination and merchants with new customers. It makes the Mohawk River once again the center of our community.

How You Can Help.

There are many ways to contribute to the expansion and maintenance of Riverlink Park, and both cash and in-kind donations are encouraged. One of the most popular ways to support the Park is through the purchase of a brick paver.  The pavers can be inscribed with a memorial to a loved one, your family name, a significant date or just about what ever you wish. For more information, click here.

Remember that every dollar you give has a multiplier effect, for it generates more dollars in state and federal support. To find out more about how to contribute, please call the Amsterdam Waterfront Foundation at 518-843-3050 or 518-843-5190. We thank you for your involvement and support of this very vital community project.

_{The Amsterdam Waterfront Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. NY State Charities Registration #62359}