WATERSHED DIGEST
monthly newsletter
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Update from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance
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Toast to the Tribs Livestream
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2021 Toast to the Tribs Awards Benefit livestream!
It was a really special celebration of our Watershed WaveMaker awardees, along with the vast network of rivers and streams that flow to the Hudson River and the communities that work to protect them.
A full recording of the program is available on our YouTube channel here.
We’ve also broken out videos for the individual sections and our Watershed WaveMaker awardees:
Thank you so much for your support of the Hudson River Watershed Alliance!
The Hudson River Watershed Alliance supports local watershed groups, help municipalities work together on water issues, and serve as a collective voice on behalf of watershed communities. With your support, we look forward to having an even greater impact across the Hudson River watershed.
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Thank You to our Toast to the Tribs Sponsors!
Watershed Sponsors
Hudson Valley Regional Council
JSA Sustainable Wealth Management
Creek Sponsors
Capital District Regional Planning Commission
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Hudson River Foundation
Stream Sponsors
Chazen, A LaBella Company
Delaware Engineering
Gordon & Svenson, LLP
Hazen and Sawyer
NYenvironcom
Riverkeeper
Scenic Hudson
Stewart’s Shops
Tighe & Bond
Brook Sponsors
CEA Engineers
Common Ground Consulting, LLC
Strong Outcomes, LLC
Woodstock Land Conservancy
Technical support provided by Radio Kingston
Venue provided by Hudson River Maritime Museum
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Catch Up on Watershed Breakfast Lectures
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The Hudson River Watershed Alliance hosts monthly breakfast lectures, every 2nd Thursday of the month. While we're on break for the summer, you may be interested in catching up on recordings of past talks.
Recordings of our breakfast lectures from April 2020-June 2021 are all available on the Hudson River Watershed Alliance's YouTube channel here.
In 2021, breakfast lecture topics have included the future of urban stormwater management, wastewater monitoring for Covid-19, how NYS DEC's streams monitoring program works, the relationship between sediment and bacteria for water quality, Michigan's Kalamazoo River as a case study for Hudson River issues, and aquatic acoustics to better understand fish in the Hudson River and its tributaries.
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
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Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2)
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Aerial image of Alcove Reservoir, which serves as the drinking water supply for the City of Albany. (Photo by Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, with aerial support provided by Light Hawk.)
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Parking lot and storm sewer system within the Washington Lake watershed. Washington Lake was the drinking water supply for the City of Newburgh until it was found to be contaminated by PFAS chemicals in 2016. Pollutants from stormwater runoff can also impact drinking water supplies.
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Members of the Hudson 7, or Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council, tour the Village of Rhinebeck's drinking water treatment plant. The Hudson River is the drinking water source for seven municipalities, including the Village of Rhinebeck.
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Potential Contaminant Source Inventory Reservoir and Well Recharge Area Map for the Village of New Paltz's drinking water supply. This map was created by The Chazen Companies as part of New Paltz's DWSP2 plan with the Hudson Valley Regional Council. This map shows a County road running through both watersheds of the reservoirs. As part of the DWSP2 process, the team had to consider potential contaminants from the road and how to protect against them.
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One of the Village of New Paltz's four reservoirs, located in the Town of New Paltz.
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Land Cover Map for the Tomhannock Reservoir, the City of Troy's drinking water supply. Map by Capital District Regional Planning Commission as part of their DWSP2 process.
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Proactively protecting sources of drinking water from potential contamination is critical for public health. We all need clean water to drink. A watershed planning framework for sources of drinking water can help municipalities map and protect the waterbodies that provide drinking water to their communities. Sources of drinking water may include reservoirs, lakes, rivers, streams, or groundwater aquifers.
Often, waterbodies that supply drinking water for municipal public water supplies are outside of that particular municipality’s boundaries and jurisdiction for land use planning. As a result, the watershed planning process can be particularly important for municipalities to come together to discuss issues and opportunities around drinking water protection.
Public water supplies are filtered and treated to ensure high quality clean water is delivered to residents. However, protecting water at the source is the first step. Healthy watersheds can filter pollutants and slow down runoff into waterbodies. This has proven to be a cost-effective approach compared to treatment. A 2002 study of 27 water suppliers conducted by the Trust for Public Land and the American Water Works Association found that an increase in forest cover in a drinking water watershed resulted in lower treatment costs. More information on the value of source water protection and best practices are included in the Trust for Public Land and American Water Works Association’s report Protecting the Source: Land Conservation and the Future of
New York State's Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) is a voluntary, state-run program created to assist municipalities with proactively protecting their drinking water sources. DWSP2 is a four-agency initiative co-led by DEC and DOH, in collaboration with the Departments of Agriculture and Markets and State. Their goal is to help municipalities develop and implement their own unique drinking water source protection plan for sources of drinking water.
The DWSP2 initiative and framework build on the previous Source Water Assessment Programs (SWAPs) that were developed in the 1990s. The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act required states to create a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) for all public drinking water systems, emphasizing the importance of pollution prevention to protect the safety of drinking water supplies.
In 2019, NYS DOH and DEC developed the DWSP2 framework for municipalities to create watershed plans that protect drinking water sources. Their Framework for Creating a Drinking Water Source Protection Program Plan is a working draft that describes the process and provides an outline for the final product. Key steps include forming a stakeholder group, inventorying potential sources of contamination, establishing critical areas to be protected, and creating an implementation timeline.
A watershed planning approach to source water protection like DWSP2 helps communities to:
- Protect public health by preventing pollutants from entering a drinking water supply,
- Avoid preventable drinking water treatment costs,
- Increase community confidence in their local public drinking water,
- Create partnerships that support implementing key actions, and
- Utilize a broad array of existing funding sources to aid with project implementation costs.
Certain State grant programs, including DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project Program (WQIP) grants, provide additional points for projects that are in State-accepted DWSP2 plans.
In May 2021, DEC and DOH announced that up to 40 municipalities will work with technical assistance providers to develop DWSP2 plans. These municipalities are matched with State-selected environmental consultants, Regional Planning Boards, the New York Rural Water Association, and DEC and DOH DWSP2 staff.
Communities in the Hudson River Watershed that will benefit from this program include:
- The Hudson 7: City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Village and Town of Rhinebeck, and Town of Hyde Park (Dutchess County); Town of Esopus and Town of Lloyd (Ulster County
- City of Beacon (Dutchess County)
- Town of Bethlehem (Albany County)
- Town of Fishkill (Dutchess County)
- City of Glens Falls (Warren County)
- Village of Monroe (Orange County)
- Town of Montgomery (Orange County)
- Village of New Paltz (Ulster County)
- Village of Ossining (Westchester County)
- Village of Otisville (Orange County)
- City of Peekskill (Westchester County)
- Village of Ravena (Albany County)
- Town of Red Hook (Dutchess County)
- City of Troy (Rensselaer County)
- City of Watervliet (Albany County)
- Town of Wawarsing (Ulster County)
Some of these projects are already in process through Regional Planning Boards. Hudson Valley Regional Council has been working with the Village of New Paltz on DWSP2 to protect their drinking water supply, which was contaminated by a leaking underground oil line in February 2020. Capital District Regional Council is also currently working on DWSP2 plans with the City of Watervliet and City of Troy, focused on protecting the Watervliet Reservoir and Tomhannock Reservoirs, respectively.
You can keep up to date with news about DWSP2 through their monthly newsletter. Anyone interested in or working on protecting source waters are encouraged to sign up for the newsletter, and you can view past issues here.
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JOB POSTINGS:
Stormwater Coalition of Albany County: Coalition Stormwater Program Technician applications due July 30
The Stormwater Coalition of Albany County has a job opening for a part time position of Coalition Stormwater Program Technician (20hrs/wk, flexible schedule). The candidate directly assists four municipalities in implementing stormwater permit requirements. Preferred candidates have a keen interest in sustainability, water quality, and natural resource management. Typical activities include dry weather outfall surveys, municipal facility self audits, construction site inspections, and inspections of stormwater facilities, such as ponds, rain gardens, swales, etc. The candidate is expected to work successfully and closely with a variety of staff from multiple municipal departments (public works, engineering, planning, and code enforcement). The candidate must be an Albany County resident.
GRANTS:
NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program/NEIWPCC: 2021 Restoration of Watershed Connectivity grants due July 30
Approximately $100,000 is available to help municipalities document constrictions that cause flooding at culverts and bridges and are barriers to fish movement in Hudson tributary streams. The purpose of the grant is to develop municipal management plans and designs to improve inadequate road-stream crossings through a regional approach that restores aquatic connectivity and reduces flood hazards in multiple municipalities. They anticipate supporting one project to develop plans for two or more municipalities, which include three or more conceptual designs for each municipality (at least six conceptual designs total).
New York State: Consolidated Funding Application grants due July 30
New York State’s Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) allows communities to design comprehensive projects and with one application, apply to multiple state funding sources. You can download the 2021 CFA Resources Available Guide, sign up for informational webinars on the 2021 CFA grants and log into the CFA online. More than $750 million in funding is available from over 30 state programs for many eligible project types, including:
Water Quality Improvement Projects (WQIP): WQIP funds implement projects to address documented water quality impairments or protect a drinking water source. A total of $65 million is available. Eligible project types include: Wastewater Treatment Improvement, Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control, Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection, Salt Storage, Aquatic Connectivity Restoration, and Marine District Habitat Restoration. Eligible Applicants include: Municipalities (eligible for all project types), Soil and Water Conservation Districts (eligible for all project types) and Not-for-Profit Corporations are eligible for Aquatic Connectivity Restoration, Marine District Habitat Restoration, and Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection only. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. For more information, view DEC's WQIP webpage.
Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 Mapping Grant (NPG): NPG funds production of planning reports for nonpoint source water quality improvement projects and mapping of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). A total of $3 million is available this round. Eligible grant categories include: 1) Nonpoint Source Planning Reports which include: Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Facilities for Failing On-Site Treatment Systems, Green Infrastructure, Stormwater Retrofits, Streambank/Shoreline Stabilization, In-Waterbody Controls for Nutrients, Bathing Beach Restoration and Stream Culvert Repair and Replacement. 2) MS4 Mapping. Eligible applicants include: Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts (except for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Facilities for Failing On-Site Treatment Systems) for Nonpoint Source Planning Reports and Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Regulated traditional MS4s for MS4 Mapping projects. For more details, view DEC's NPG webpage.
Local Waterfront Revitalization Program: NYS Department of State (NYSDOS) is seeking applications to advance strategies for community and waterfront revitalization. Up to $27.75 million is available this round. Eligible projects include: Preparing or Updating a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP); Preparing an LWRP Component, including a Watershed Management Plan; Updating an LWRP to Mitigate Future Physical Climate Risks; and Implementing a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program or a completed LWRP Component. Eligible applicants include villages, towns, or cities located along New York’s coasts or inland waterways as designated pursuant to Executive Law, Article 42, and counties with the consent and acting on behalf of one or more eligible villages, towns or cities. For more details, visit the NYSDOS LWRP webpage.
Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP): The Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP) through NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation supports projects across New York State that utilize unique stormwater infrastructure design and create cutting-edge green technologies. The GIGP will provide up to $15 million in grant on a competitive basis to projects that improve water quality and mitigate the effects of climate change through the implementation of one or more of the following green practices: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Energy Efficiency, and Water Efficiency. More information is on the NYS EFC GIGP webpage.
Engineering Planning Grant Program (EPG): The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), in conjunction with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), will offer grants to municipalities to help pay for the initial planning of eligible Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) water quality projects. Up to $2.5 million has been made available for this round of the Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) program. Grants of up to $100,000 are available to municipalities to fund engineering and planning to produce an engineering report. The goal of the EPG program is to encourage communities to advance water quality projects to design and ultimately construction by funding the development of an engineering report so the community may be prepared to seek financing through the CWSRF program, Water Quality Improvement Project program, or other funding entities to further pursue the identified solution. More information is on the NYS EFC EPG webpage.
Climate Smart Communities (CSC): The CSC Grant Program provides funding for municipalities to address climate change mitigation (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and climate change adaptation (reduction of risk associated with climate change hazards) at the local level. Projects are divided into two categories. 1. Implementation: These projects either reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the non- power sector (e.g., transportation, refrigerants, food waste) or reduce risks to residents, infrastructure, and/or natural resources from hazards linked to climate change (e.g., cooling centers, flood plain restoration, reduction of flood risk) and 2. Certification: This category includes inventories, assessments, and planning projects that build local capacity to respond to climate change. These projects also move municipalities toward being designated as certified Climate Smart Communities, if they choose to become certified. Up to $11 million is available this round. All municipalities in New York State are eligible. Visit the CSC grants page on the DEC website for more info.
Smart Growth Comprehensive Planning Grant Program: NYSDOS is seeking applications to advance the preparation of municipal comprehensive plans to establish land-use policies which support smart growth and clean energy principles for the community. Eligible activities include those needed to develop a new Comprehensive Plan or a Comprehensive Plan update that is consistent with Smart Growth Principles. Up to $1 million is available. Eligible applicants include villages, towns, cities; counties, regional planning entities, and eligible not-for-profit organizations on behalf of a municipality. For more information, visit the NYSDOS Smart Growth Comp Planning webpage.
Hudson River Foundation: 2021 Hudson River Fund Research Proposals due August 27
The Hudson River Foundation has issued a Call for Proposals for innovative approaches to understanding current and emerging issues for the Hudson River estuary and watershed. The Foundation is particularly interested in projects that: provide focused outcomes and serve as a catalyst for additional research; synthesize existing data, especially social and biophysical information that is relevant to understanding how social, economic, and natural systems are coupled in the Hudson River ecosystem; complete and/or advance ongoing projects to achieve more innovative or comprehensive outcomes, particularly those that can inform policy and decision-making and; provide opportunities for partnerships with the Foundation that can lead to productive engagement with decision-makers from communities who can benefit from the results of research.
Hudson River Valley Greenway: Planning and Trails Grant applications due September 10 and November 8
The Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program provides matching grants to Greenway Communities and Compact Communities. Greenway Communities are eligible to receive up to $10,000 to develop plans or projects consistent with the five Greenway criteria: natural and cultural resource protection, economic development, public access, regional planning, and heritage and environmental education. Higher amounts are awarded for intermunicipal projects. Plans can include natural resource inventories, open space plans, comprehensive plans, and more. The Hudson River Valley Greenway Conservancy Trails Grant Program is dedicated to funding recreational trail projects.
Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve: Margaret A. Davidson fellowship applications due December 10
The two-year Margaret A. Davidson fellowship brings a graduate student to conduct research at the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve to address a key coastal management question. These questions help Hudson River communities understand coastal challenges and impacts to influence future policy and management strategies. The annual stipend for a Margaret A. Davidson fellow is $41,000 for research and travel, and an additional equipment and supply budget of approximately $7,000. The research that is conducted at the Reserve is intended to be a substantial part of the fellow’s degree research. At least six weeks must be spent at the Reserve each year.
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The Hudson River Watershed Alliance unites and empowers communities to protect their local water resources
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