FttFtForest to Faucet
Meeting the Needs of Rivers andPd Peop le
Feb 10, 2011 Presentation Outline
• Watershed observations • Stream quality in Hudson River Estuary watershed • What the EP is doing related to water. • Some examples of regional community based watershed conservation and planning initiatives We will focus on these issues: 1Fih1. Fish & Wildlife H a bitats t 2. Recreation & Access 3. Climate Change 4. The Scenic Landscape 5. Clean Water Estuaryyg Program’s interest in tributaries and water. TibTribsare itt!important!
Spring Summer • Coastal habitat •Freshwater • Nutrients (e.g., carbon) • Pollutants Wint er It’s Us! What is a Watershed?
The land and water that drain to a common outlet.
*Typically <1% is actually water Hudson River Watershed Entire wathdtershed ~ 13,500 mi2
Adirondacks to NYC HR Estuary Watershed Overlaid with lines in the dirt
~ 5,300 square miles
~ 8,860 miles of mapped streams
~ 65 named direct tributaries
~ 1,400 lakes/ponds ~ 324 significant lakes/ponds How healthy are streams in the Hudson River watershed? What I’m Observing Very Nice Streams and Watersheds… But, Watersheds are changing Most of the remaining problems are from land use
Encroaching on streams – removing vegetation Manipulating Stream Channels MkiMonkeying aroundhd where we s hld’bhouldn’t be Losing Wetlands • NY lost >50% of wetlands since 1780s (European se ttlemen t). (Dahl 1990)
• HV lost appox. 2,891 acres of freshwater wetlands mid-80s and mid-90s. (Huffman and assoc 1999) Aggging infrastructure and Placing infrastructure in harms way Dams and Culverts Everywhere HR Watershed Perspective 1900 DEC regulated 2000
“Golden Age of Dam Building” 1950-1970 Most active period of dam building
50 year common design life
Often insufficient spillway capacity Paving over the watershed More water when we don’t want it, and less when we do. Leads to Nonpoint Source Pollution And Altered Hydrologic Cycle Water Cycle Effects of Urbanization on Stream Hydrology Effects of Impervious Surface on Stream St abilit y
25-30% <10% Impervious surface increases Stable Unstable Protected Water velocity increases Non-supporting Erosion sediment, and nutrient loading This all leads to… “Restoration” Two Terms That I think Describe our Trends • Urban Stream Syndrome – describes the consistently observed ecological degradation of streams draining urban land. • Journey to Mediocrity – Converging of high and low quality streams to a mediocre state. DEC Measures Change in Streams in Two ways
• Human-based ‘best use’ or classification – Whether it meets “fishable/swimmable goals” • Biological condition based on stream critters
VS. Human Based Best Use CWA “Fi sh abl e and Sw imma ble ” •~20% of streams/rivers don’ t meet use (drinking, swimming, fishing propagation, fish survival) – Agriculture and urban/suburban runoff
• ~61% of lakes/reservoirs don’t meet use – Adidb/bbffAtmos. deposit. and urban/suburban runoff Stream Health Based on Macros Recent trend data (2002) 565 samples on 318 streams
None None47% 47%
Severe Slight 43% Moderate
Slightly is very misleading Can deviate up to 50% Stream Health Based on Macros, cont. trends late 80s/early 90s to 2002 (~decade of data)
Highest qu ality streams slip Improved Poorest quality streams improve No 16% a bit. change 66% Declined 18%
Most impaired streams are slightly impacted by nonpoint sources of nutrients, pesticides, and related factors ((,i.e., nonp oint source pollution ). What is the Estuary Program Doing to Protect and Restore Streams and Water Quality? Intermunicipal, Community- Led Watershed Planning and Implementation
BttBottom-up approachth to ensure ownership Community- bdbased watershed efforts in the EtEstuary watershed Watershed Plans Completed
• Fishkill • Croton Bay • Moodna • Wallkill • Onesquethaw Coeymans • Fall Kill • Wappinger Watershed Plans Underway • RdtRondout CkWthdCilCreek Watershed Council – Ulster Co. • Quassaick Creek Coalition – Orange Co. •Stockport Watershed effort - Columbia • Catskill Creek Watershed effort - Greene Intermunicipal Watershed Agreements
• Saw Mill • Wappinger • Fall Kill • Moodna • Rondout Other Watershed Stewardship Efforts
• Lwr Esopus/Saw Kill (Blw Ashokan) - Ulster • Sparkill Wat ersh ed Alli ance – RkldRockland • Patroon Creek project – Albany • Normans Kill Creek – Albany • Saw Mill River - Westchester Saw Mill River Case Study • Groundwork HV • Free a tree • Daylighting • Intermunicipal agreement • Land use study in corridor • Better site design • EPA grant Two Estuary Program Tools 1. Green Infrastructure Examples in the Hudson Valley http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58930.html 2. Trees for Tribs Restoring streambanks
•168 sites •151 partners •22,ooo native plants •61,000 ft of streambank •2,300 volunteers Behavior Changes – Adopting Local Strategies Behavior Changes – Adopting Local Strategies
Averaggpgppe number of watershed protection strategies implemented per municipality in watersheds
8 Implemented prior to
ipality 2000 cc 7 Currently in draft 6 form 5 Implemented 2000- gies per muni ee 4 2009
3
2 umber of strat
nn 1
0 Average
Watershed Behavior Changes – Adopting Local Strategies SttScott CttCuppett Hudson River Estuary Program NYS Dept of Env. Conservation Tel. 845/256-3029 [email protected]