WATERSHED DIGEST
monthly newsletter
|
|
Update from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance
|
|
Stream & Buffer Protection Webinar Series
|
|
Organized by the Hudson River Watershed Alliance & Hudson River Estuary Program. Sponsored by the Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, in cooperation with the NEIWPCC.
|
|
September 9, 16, 23, and 30
1-2 PM
Protecting a healthy vegetated buffer area around streams is an important step to protect the overall health and water quality of the stream itself. However, buffer protection can be challenging to implement.
In this 4-part webinar series, we will discuss the science behind stream buffers, current regulations, and what communities can do to protect streams and their buffers.
Speakers include Dr. Peter Groffman (CUNY & Brooklyn College), Corbin Gosier (NYS DEC), Beth Roessler (NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program), Nava Tabak (Scenic Hudson), and Emily Svenson (Law Office of David K. Gordon).
Sign up for individual sessions or the whole webinar series
here
. More information on the program is
here
.
|
|
Green Infrastructure Webinar
|
On Thursday, July 23 from 2-3 PM, Emily Vail from Hudson River Watershed Alliance will present at the Capital District Regional Planning Commission's Planning & Zoning Webinar Series.
Her presentation “Assessing Green Infrastructure: Kingston’s Uptown Parking Lots” will share her research on the performance of 13 green infrastructure practices (rain gardens, bioretention areas, pervious pavement, and dry wells) in Kingston.
More information and registration
here
.
AICP members can earn 1 Certification Maintenance (CM) credit for participating.
|
|
|
The Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudsonia Ltd. are offering a webinar series and virtual field trip on "Headwater Streams: Identification & Protection of an Essential Resource." The series will be August 3-6, 3:00–4:30 PM each day.
Topics include ecological values of headwater streams, how to identify unmapped streams on site plans, maps, aerial photos, and in the field; threats to stream habitats and water quality; the status of state and federal regulatory programs for headwater streams; and how to extend local protections to these important resources. Emily Vail from Hudson River Watershed Alliance will be presenting as part of the course.
The course is for municipal officials and others who are engaged in advising landowners, municipal planning, reviewing land development proposals, or making land management or regulatory decisions. The program is free, but an application is required and space is limited. Apply online
here
. Attendees can receive certificates for 6 hours of municipal training credit.
|
|
|
Toast to the Tribs Livestream
|
Hudson River Watershed Alliance held our annual awards benefit as a livestream on June 23. The full livestream is available to view on our YouTube channel
here
.
Thank you so much to all our sponsors, Radio Kingston for providing technical support, and Mike + Ruthy of
The Mammals
for playing live music.
|
|
|
Upper Hudson River Watershed Revitalization Plan
|
|
Map of the Upper Hudson River watershed from the "Upper Hudson River Watershed Revitalization Plan"
|
Schroon Lake in Warren County (photo: Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District)
|
Agriculture in Washington County (photo: Corrina Aldrich)
|
Members of the Upper Hudson River Watershed Revitalization Plan advisory committee (photo: Lake Champlain - Lake George Regional Planning Board)
|
Beth Gilles, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain - Lake George Regional Planning Board, accepting the Watershed WaveMaker award on behalf of the Upper Hudson River Watershed Coalition.
|
|
The Upper Hudson River is the northernmost part of the Hudson River, from its source in the Adirondacks to the Federal Dam in Troy. The Upper Hudson River watershed spans 4,620 square miles. The watershed is primarily in New York State, but also includes portions of Vermont and Massachusetts. This large area is about one third of the entire Hudson River watershed (about 13,400 square miles).
The Upper Hudson River watershed includes more than 7,000 miles of rivers and 229 significant ponds, lakes, and reservoirs, including the Hoosic River, Battenkill, Fish Creek, Sacandaga River, and many more.
Land use in the watershed is diverse, ranging from Forever Wild in Adirondack Park; to significant rural and agricultural areas; to cities like Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and Troy. There are 97 municipalities within the Upper Hudson River watershed, and each county has its own unique characteristics.
The
Upper Hudson River Watershed Coalition
formed in 2014 to “Provide a coordinated effort to improve water quality and other natural resources within the New York Upper Hudson River Watershed counties through project planning and implementation.”
The Coalition includes representatives from each of the 7 Soil & Water Conservation Districts in the watershed: Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Warren, and Washington, along with one representative from each of the watershed's regional planning boards: the Lake Champlain – Lake George Regional Planning Board and the Capital District Regional Planning Commission.
In 2014, the Upper Hudson River Watershed Coalition created a “
Priority Issues and Actions
” document to identify their top actions to improve water quality and natural resources throughout the watershed. This document focused on 6 priority issues, which were broken out by goals and objectives. The 6 priority issues were:
- stormwater,
- agriculture,
- erosion,
- water supply/wastewater,
- invasive species,
- and fish and aquatic organism passage.
Specific priorities and implementation projects were broken out for each county. The document includes a short description of each project and its cost, which would be implemented by the Soil & Water Conservation District. This approach helps justify funding, and shows that the projects have been identified through a strategic process. The Upper Hudson River Watershed Coalition has been very effective in moving projects from planning to implementation.
In 2020, the Upper Hudson River Watershed Coalition completed the “
Upper Hudson River Watershed Revitalization Plan
.” This watershed management plan was created with funding from NYS Department of State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program grant to the Town of Horicon.
The watershed plan used the same 6 priority issues as the “Priority Issues and Actions” document, but with much more detail on current conditions in the watershed and recommendations for next steps. In total, the plan identified 190 projects, totaling more than $300,000,000 in water quality improvements to work towards their goals.
The Upper Hudson River Watershed Coalition, with support from the Lake Champlain - Lake George Regional Planning Board, has done significant work to support projects from funding through construction stages, while keeping planning initiatives straightforward and effective.
The Hudson River Watershed Alliance honored the Upper Hudson Watershed Coalition with a Watershed WaveMaker award at our 2020 Toast to the Tribs livestream event. Their video is available to view on YouTube
here
.
|
|
Urban Waters Learning Network: Addressing Racial Equity in Environmental Spaces
On June 21, 2019, the Urban Waters Learning Network, in cooperation with Darryl Haddock (Western Atlanta Watershed Alliance) and Jennifer Arnold (Reciprocity Consulting), hosted the Urban Waters Learning Forum: Addressing Racial Equity in Environmental Spaces. Resources gathered by the facilitators and guiders of the workshop are in the linked PDF.
Hudson River Estuary Program Conservation and Land Use webinar: Streams 101
July 23, 12-1pm
This webinar will provide an introduction to the diversity of streams in the Hudson River Estuary watershed; their values and the threats facing them. It will also include tools and resources available to learn more about streams and how to conserve them. Certificates for 1 hour of municipal training credit will be available to attendees.
Presenter: Beth Roessler, Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell University
Previous webinars in this series have included stormwater management, conserving wetlands, and an introduction to Conservation Advisory Councils and Boards. To see the previous webinar recordings and slides, click
here
.
Hudson River Estuary Program: Trees for Tribs applications due August 7
Do you own or manage land along a stream? You can apply for free native plants to help reduce erosion and improve habitat along your stream! The Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs Program offers free native trees and shrubs for planting along the tributary streams in the Hudson River Estuary watershed. If your application is accepted, staff can provide plants and help you with a planting plan. Now accepting applications for fall planting projects.
National Estuary Program: Coastal Watershed Grant Program due August 7
The National Estuary Program (NEP) Coastal Watershed Grant Program has announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for projects that address threats to coastal and estuarine areas of national significance, including the Hudson River Estuary watershed in New York. Priorities include nutrients, loss of habitat, flooding and coastal erosion. This newly created, nationally competitive grant program is administered by Restore America’s Estuaries in coordination with the EPA. Letters of Intent are due by 5 p.m. on August 7, 2020. Full proposals, by invitation only, are due November 6, 2020.
Bronx River Alliance: Job Postings
Join the Bronx River Alliance team and work to restore the Bronx River. Become the Recreation Assistant and aid in leading canoe trips along the river as part of the public education initiatives along the river. Become the Conservation Crew Apprentice and carry out ecological restoration, river and watershed management, and clean- up projects along the eight-mile stretch of the Bronx River. Become the Volunteer Coordinator and support the expansion of a robust volunteer structure and lead the coordination and cultivation of our volunteer program. Become the Special Events Coordinator and House Manager and help plan and execute two major fundraising events—the Amazing Bronx River Flotilla and An Upstream Soiree—and smaller events for members and volunteers.
|
|
The Hudson River Watershed Alliance unites and empowers communities to protect their local water resources
|
|
|
|
This newsletter is supported in part by the Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
