Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

In This Issue:

• DEC awards $255,240 to Reduce Localized Flooding and Improve Habitat
• Where Does Our Water Come From and Where Does it Go?
• Watershed Characterization Technical Assistance

DEC Awards $255,240 to Reduce Localized Flooding and Improve Habitat

DEC has awarded $255,240 in funding for two projects to develop regional municipal management plans and designs to improve inadequate road-stream crossings (culverts and bridges) at priority sites for flood mitigation and/or stream habitat for fish in in Ulster and Rensselaer counties. Funding for these projects is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and is administered by DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program in partnership with the New England Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC).

Ulster County was awarded $125,464 to develop an interactive map and prioritization web tool to allow county and municipal decision-makers address current and future inadequate road-stream crossings. The map can be filtered to display each of the County’s 24 municipalities The project also will assess road-stream crossings in five municipalities in the Lower Esopus Watershed and will complete conceptual designs for eight priority crossings within the City of Kingston and the Towns of Hurley, Marbletown, Olive, and Ulster.

Trout Unlimited (TU) was awarded $129,776 to identify priority road-stream crossing replacement projects that reconnect high-quality aquatic habitat and improve community flood resiliency and road infrastructure condition within the town of Berlin, Grafton, and Brunswick, NY. The project will include the evaluation of road stream crossing survey data; an evaluation and prioritization of the results of the survey; and the development of conceptual and final designs for the highest priority aquatic barriers in each town. The survey results will be compiled into an inventory document and a web-based map resource for each town to further support future budgeting and planning efforts.

New Video: Where Does Our Water Come From and Where Does it Go?

Where does our drinking water come from, and where does our wastewater go? This video, now available on DEC YouTube, explores how water gets to your home and where it goes once it washes down the drain. Learn about the different sources of water, including surface water and groundwater. Discover local examples of drinking water supplies for residents of the Hudson River Valley and common water treatment steps. 

Learn more about your drinking water by contacting your local health department for advice on locating your Annual Water Quality Report or testing your private well. Find your water provider.  Read your Annual Water Quality Report. Learn more about DEC's Drinking Water Source Protection Program.

Watershed Characterization Technical Assistance 

The Hudson River Watershed Alliance (HRWA) will provide technical assistance to develop two watershed characterizations in 2022 and 2023 that will be used as case studies for urban/suburban watersheds and for rural watersheds. Watershed characterization reports include a summary of the watershed, baseline conditions, and key problems.

HRWA will work with advisory committees from the Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance and the Town of Ancram Conservation Advisory Council to characterize two watersheds:

• The Sparkill Creek watershed in Rockland County, NY and Bergen County, NJ (urban/suburban case study)
• The Punch Brook-Roeliff Jansen Kill watershed in Columbia County and Dutchess County (rural case study).

Developing a watershed characterization report is the first step in watershed planning. It provides context for future planning and can be used for education and to build local support.

The watershed characterization technical assistance project is supported by funding from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) through DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program in partnership with NEIWPCC.