'Waterbug Harvester' Returns To Tibbetts Brook Park for Summer Restoration Work

YONKERS, NY —Work to restore the 10-acre lake at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers is back underway for the summer.

The Westchester Parks Foundation resuming its annual Lake Revitalization Project on July 15. The effort focuses on removing invasive water chestnut and other aquatic vegetation that the foundation said threatens the health of the lake and its native ecosystem.

The Yonkers project combines volunteer hand removal with a remote-controlled Waterbug Harvester, which is now in its third season as part of the Lake Revitalization Project. According to Westchester Parks Foundation, the Waterbug helps crews remove invasive plants from open water and from areas that are harder to reach by hand, adding to the work done by volunteers.

The initiative began in 2018 and has removed more than 121,000 pounds of invasive aquatic vegetation with help from its partners. According to the foundation, that work has improved water quality, restored wildlife habitat and enhanced recreational opportunities for people visiting the park.

The foundation said the project has long received support from Xylem Inc. and is now also backed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Con Edison. According to the announcement, those investments are helping accelerate the restoration of the lake at Tibbetts Brook Park.

Crews are expected to continue working through the summer to remove invasive species from the lake. At the end of this season's work, Westchester Parks Foundation and its partners expect to have a clearer timeline for the project's completion and for the lake's long-term restoration, according to the announcement.

Residents who want to take part can sign up for upcoming volunteer removal events through Westchester Parks Foundation at thewpf.org/volunteerevents. The project relies in part on community volunteers, whose hand removal efforts are paired with mechanical harvesting as the seasonal cleanup continues in Yonkers.

Tibbetts Brook Park has been the focus of the restoration campaign for several years, with the annual work aimed at reducing the spread of invasive growth across the lake. The latest round of removals continues that longer-term effort as crews and volunteers return to the water for the 2026 season.