WATERSHED DIGEST
monthly newsletter
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Update from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance |
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Annual Watershed Conference |
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Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our virtual conference! We heard updates from watershed groups actively working during the COVID-19 pandemic, findings of needs and strengths from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance's interviews of watershed groups, updates on NYS DEC's climate change programs, and news from the Hudson River Estuary Program.
We also had a series of interactive workshops on creating connections for science communications, collaborating on water quality, and building shared leadership.
You can view the Work on Watersheds During COVID-19 panel discussion here.
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Thank you to our sponsors! |
Creek Sponsors
Pace University
Riverkeeper
Stream Sponsors
Delaware Engineering
Law Office of David K. Gordon
Main Printing
Nelson, Pope & Voorhis
Rockland County Soil & Water Conservation District
SunCommon
Brook Sponsors
CEA Engineers
The Chazen Companies
Strong Outcomes
Woodstock Land Conservancy
Philip DeGaetano
Mary McNamara
Kate Meierdiercks
Ryan Palmer
Matt Shook
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The Hudson River Watershed Alliance is excited to share the first-of-its-kind Work on Watersheds report!
This new report shares stories from 32 watershed groups, highlighting the diverse ways that watershed groups are making a difference. The WoW report’s stories illustrate the broad range of roles that watershed groups play and the outcomes they achieve.
A physical copy was mailed to Annual Watershed Conference registrants. For a PDF copy, click here.
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Breakfast Lecture: Water Science for Water Communities |
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Thursday, November 12, 8:30-9:30 AM
Featured Speaker: M. Elias (Eli) Dueker, Bard College Center for the Study of Land, Air, and Water
What do we need right now to advance water stewardship in the Hudson Valley? More water sampling? More community involvement? More laws? Science can be used as a tool to address many of these important questions, and help to map a way forward in the midst of these complicated times. Building on his recent presentation at the Annual Watershed Conference, Eli Dueker will present a framework on community-centered science, including his experience with the Bard College Center for the Study of Land, Air, and Water and the Saw Kill Watershed Community.
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Sudstainable solutions to our Aleing Infrastructure |
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Thursday, November 12, 7-8:45 PM
Join the Lower Hudson Partnership to celebrate the water quality stewards who fuel their community monitoring programs, and dig into the world of green infrastructure. The Lower Hudson Partnership consists of the Center for the Urban River at Beczak, Bronx River Alliance, and Riverkeeper, which sample the Bronx River, Pocantico River, Saw Mill River, and Sparkill Creek.
The program includes a toast of beers from Gun Hill Brewery and Captain Lawrence Brewery; a screening of films about green infrastructure to reduce stormwater pollution; and a panel discussion on green infrastructure with MaryJane Shimsky (Westchester County Legislator, 12th District), Oded Holzinger (Groundwork Hudson Valley), Rebecca Pryor (Guardians of Flushing Bay/Riverkeeper), and Emily Vail (Hudson River Watershed Alliance).
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Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council |
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Map of the Moodna Creek watershed. For a larger version, click the image. |
Erosion on the Moodna Creek in Cornwall. |
Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council Chair Jay Beaumont at the new kiosk at Earl Reservoir Park in the Town and Village of Woodbury. |
Monroe-Woodbury High School's Environmental Studies class monitoring water quality. |
Bill Shuster's presentation on “Enhancing Connectivity in Orange County” |
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2020 marks the 10th year of the Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council!
The Moodna Creek Watershed Intermuncipal Council formed in October 2010, after the Moodna Creek Watershed Conservation and Management Plan was completed. The Council benefits watershed municipalities both individually and collectively by incorporating water resources into economic and social policies, along with securing and sharing grants. The Council creates a space for intermunicipal dialogue on water quality and quantity, and improves coordination on projects that impact the watershed.
Located entirely within Orange County, the Moodna Creek watershed is 180 square miles. The watershed is a patchwork of open space, agriculture, urbanized areas, suburban development, and water features. The watershed has been under considerable development pressure, especially in the past two decades.
Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee caused major flooding in the watershed in August and September 2011. The Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council has supported flood mitigation plans in both the upper portion (through New York Rising programs) and the lower portion (through funding from NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and NEIWPCC) of the watershed. The Council plans to incorporate findings from both reports into the watershed management plan.
With Orange County Water Authority, the Council has implemented a system of stream gages in the Moodna Creek watershed to provide real-time water level data and monitor flood conditions. With a NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program grant, they have installed a new gage in Washingtonville, which has sustained the most flood damage in the watershed. This site is linked to the Orange County Emergency Management’s system to serve as a flood warning system.
The lower portion of the Moodna Creek watershed is prone to erosion, and the Council works with Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District, municipalities, and Orange County to identify funding for remediation projects.
Some of the Council’s proudest accomplishments relate to their educational initiatives. The Council has completed two kiosks in partnership with local Boy Scout troops, with two additional kiosks planned. The kiosks share information specific to the Moodna Creek watershed, along with wetlands and other topics. The Council has also supported high school students to conduct water quality monitoring in Walton Lake and Earl Reservoir.
The Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council includes municipal members from 15 towns and villages within the watershed, along with non-municipal members Black Rock Fish & Game Club, Black Rock Forest, Concerned Citizens for the Hudson Valley, Friends of Walton Lake, New York Natural History Council, NY/NJ Trail Conference, Orange County Land Trust, Orange County Federation of Sportsmen’s Club, Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Preservation Collective, and Kate Ahmadi.
You can follow the Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council on Facebook and learn more about their work on their website here. A 10th anniversary celebration was originally planned for October 2020, but has been postponed due to Covid.
At their October Council meeting, Bill Shuster, Executive Director of Black Rock Forest Consortium, gave a presentation on “Enhancing Connectivity in Orange County” that is available to view here.
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GRANTS:
Lifeboats HV: Local Champions grant to support Climate Smart Communities due December 10
The Local Champions pilot will bring together a cohort of six individuals who are leading their municipality’s work on NY State’s Climate Smart Communities program (CSC). We provide funding ($8,000 grant), programming and peer-to-peer learning to people designated by their local government to serve as CSC Task Force Coordinators. The Local Champions pilot will select six CSC Task Force Coordinators, enabling them to organize their municipality’s filing for bronze certification. Cities, towns and villages within Greene, Ulster, Columbia and Dutchess counties are eligible. This is a pilot program provided by Lifeboats HV, an initiative of The New World Foundation.
The Nature Conservancy: Community Visioning for Vacant Land following Flood Buyouts in New York pre-proposals due December 2
The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Community Visioning for Vacant Land following Managed Retreat in New York. The objective of this award is to support a community visioning process for vacant land in New York communities where flood buyouts (i.e., managed retreat) from coasts or floodplains has occurred. The emphasis of this award is to foster relationships among decision-makers and citizens and provide a forum for a wide variety of community voices to create a shared vision for repurposing the vacant land so that it can provide social and ecological benefits following retreat from flood-prone areas. The Nature Conservancy has a total funding allocation of $100,000 and seeks to distribute at least two awards with this allocation.
JOB POSTINGS:
NEIWPCC/NYS DEC: Environmental Analyst (Albany, NY)
This position will involve development of data output, input, and display interfaces, sampling and office activities associated with the three major Division of Water lake monitoring programs run by the Lake Monitoring and Assessment Section (LMAS), encompassed in the Bureau of Water Assessment and Management division (BWAM) – the Lake Classification and Inventory (LCI) survey, the New York Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP), and the New York Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB program). Apply by November 13, 2020.
NEIWPCC/NYC DEP: Environmental Engineer (Kingston, NY)
The Environmental Engineer will perform all tasks associated with managing the assessment, replacement, and maintenance of certain wastewater treatment infrastructure that is required to be installed and maintained in the New York City water supply watershed. Apply by November 20, 2020.
Save the Sound: NY Ecological Restoration Program Manager (Westchester)
Seeking an entrepreneurial ecological restoration practitioner to join the Ecological Restoration team at Save the Sound. Would you like to remove deadbeat dams, reconnect rivers, install green infrastructure, and restore shoreline habitat? An experienced project manager passionate about restoring natural ecosystems is the ideal candidate to expand our ecological restoration work in Westchester County and New York. Applications currently being accepted until position is filled.
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The Hudson River Watershed Alliance unites and empowers communities to protect their local water resources |
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