News from the Watershed

August | 2024

New York’s steepest river is rich in history, recreation, working landscapes and habitat. BRASS is working to enhance them all.

Flooding, Clean-ups & Plantings, Oh My!

Washouts, culverts and flooded homes have kept BRASS busy

BRASS representatives have been working throughout the Boquet River watershed with homeowners, town officials and consultants from DEC and FEMA after the latest round of major flooding. Essex County got the worst of it - with multiple towns recording millions of dollars in damage each. Some roads, like Ledge Hill in Westport (pictured above) may remain closed for months. Elizabethtown is the hardest hit town with sites like Roaring Brook (above left) and the log jam near Otis Lane (below left) demanding immediate attention. It looks like FEMA funds might be forthcoming to lift some of the local cost burden.

BRASS in the NEWS!

BRASS was featured in two recent Adirondack Explorer articles. A big thanks to the Explorer and the efforts of environmental reporters Zach Matson and Mike Lynch.

Navigating change: New energy for a group working to revitalize the Boquet River ecosystem by Zachary Matson

Paddling the Champlain Valley’s Boquet River, a wild waterway originating in the High Peaks by Mike Lynch

Cleaning up the Murdock Wildlife Refuge

In June, BRASS volunteers pulled several TONS of trash out of the flood plain at the Pauline Murdock Wildlife Refuge on the Elizabethtown- Wadhams Road. A big thank you to our volunteers, the homeowners who allowed temporary trash storage and to the DEC for carting it all away!

FEMA Draft Flood Maps

BRASS has been meeting with town and county officials to discuss the latest FEMA flood map proposals. These maps are more accurate than in years past, but still require our "on the ground knowledge" to accurately portray the flood zones in our watershed. The final maps will have some impacts on homeowners in low-lying areas, particularly in terms of flood insurance. Stay tuned to our emails for updates in the next few months.

1300 trees in one weekend!

In April, BRASS, Trout Unlimited, the Essex County Soil & Water Conservation District and more than 75 volunteers and landowners broke a sweat planting in the Boquet River floodplain. The new well-rooted trees should help slow floodwaters and stabilize the banks on this frequently flooded stretch near the Wadhams-Lewis Road.