Natural Resources Management Plan For The Fishkill Creek Watershed Fishkill Creek in Tymor Park, Union Vale Fishkill Creek near Carpenter Road in East Fishkill Fishkill Creek in Beacon, NY A Project of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee, May, 2005 FishkillCreekWatershed.org Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Natural Resource Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed June 2005 Prepared by the: Primary support provided by: Dutchess County New York State Department of Environmental Environmental Management Council Conservation, and Hudson River Estuary Program Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee Primary Authors/Editors: David Burns, Watershed Coordinator, Dutchess County Environmental Management Council Lisa Vasilakos, Watershed Technician, Dutchess Co. Environmental Management Council Rick Oestrike, Chair, Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee Project Staff: David Foord, Executive Director, Dutchess Co. Environmental Management Council Salvatore LiCausi, GIS Coordinator, Dutchess Co. Environmental Management Council Vicky Buono, Administrative Assistant, Dutchess Co. Environmental Management Council Becky Newman, AmeriCorps, Dutchess Co. Environmental Management Council i Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Acknowledgements The Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Watershed was accomplished as a collaborative effort between several agencies, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and most importantly, the citizens of the watershed. Upon completion of the Natural Resources Management Plan for the Wappinger Creek Watershed in October of 2000, municipal officials in the Fishkill Creek watershed began expressing interest in a watershed planning effort focused in Southern Dutchess County. Utilizing financial support from the Hudson River Estuary Program, the Dutchess County Environmental Management Council (EMC) and Dutchess County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) hosted a Fishkill Watershed Symposium in May of 2002. Special thanks should be extended to our host, the Town of East Fishkill, and our symposium presenters: Barbara Kendall (Hudson Valley Greenway), Scott Cuppett (Hudson River Estuary Program), and Dr. Karin Limburg (State University of NY, Environmental School of Forestry). Following the symposium, a dedicated group of citizens, agency representatives, non-governmental organizations, and municipal representatives formed the Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee. The following members of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee provided important information and news, valuable insights, and innovative ideas: Tim Sweeney, Carolyn Plage, Jane Geisler, Robert Hoose, Paul Wise, Marion Wise, Peter Rostenberg, Dan Troge, Kerri Brady, Noreen O’ Rourke, Denis Callinan, Judy Lacombe, Candace Coates, Diana Hesse, Janet Swentusky, Jeff Green, Karen Bard, Sonja Sjoholm-DeHaas, Mary Schmalz, Cliff Schwark, Peter Idema, Camile Price, George Hanson, Bernard Ruf, Ellen and Robert Delocis, Rich Taylor, Tom Farmer, John Morabito, Dorothy Bermann, Marshall Seddon, Louis Chara, Malcolm Mills, Joan Pagones, Donald Groff, Marlene Woodason, Verna Wren, Laura Heady, Ed Heiser, Gretchen Stevens, Vincent Fabiano, Gerry Iagallo, Dennis Zach, Joe Ruggiero, Richard Nunez, Amanda Long, Joel Sholtes, Scott Cuppett, Sky Shook, Ryan Palmer, Rebecca Hale, Cathy Weick, and Becky Thornton. Lynn Robbins, the first Chair of the Fishkill Watershed Committee, demonstrated the value of strong and compassionate leadership in leading a fledgling watershed group through their initial trials and tribulations. Rick Oestrike chaired the Committee through its second and into its third year and accomplished many projects such as the stream walk, a public service announcement, and many public presentations, to name a few. We further acknowledge Ed Hoxsie and Brian Scoralick from the Dutchess County Soil and Water Conservation District for providing technical support. Additionally, the committee’s listserv and web page wouldn’t have come to fruition if not for Fred Robbins, the web master. Lou Sebesta and Rick Oestrike provided invaluable resources for the forestry and geology sections of this management plan. Jesse Sayles and Barbara Kendall (Hudson River Estuary Program, NYSDEC) each contributed to the plan by writing sections on dams and the NYS Stormwater Program, respectively. Russell Urban-Mead offered insights and contributed to the groundwater section. Finally, special thanks ii Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed are due Dan Shapley for his timely and educational environmental articles that provides a means for more public involvement in the watershed planning process. iii Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii Table of Contents iv Executive Summary xii I Introduction Purpose of the Plan 1 Fishkill Creek and its Watershed 1 How we are connected to the Fishkill Creek Watershed and why you should care 4 What are the primary concerns in the Fishkill Creek Watershed? 4 Goals and Objectives of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee 7 Past, Current, and Future Activities 8 II Description of the Watershed Watershed Boundary 10 Subwatersheds 10 Land Use 10 Surface Water 15 Floodplains 24 State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) 26 Dams 30 Wildlife and Fisheries 36 Vegetation 43 Wetlands 47 Geology and Groundwater 55 Climate 61 Demographics 65 Recreation 67 iv Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Significant Areas in the Fishkill Creek Watershed 68 III Status of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Introduction 71 Nitrogen 71 Phosphorus 72 Other Chemical and Physical Parameters 74 Macroinvertebrate Sampling Rationale 75 Subwatershed Summaries 77 Fishkill Creek Mainstem 79 Sprout Creek Watershed 87 Clove Creek Watershed 92 Jackson Creek Watershed 98 Whaley Lake Brook Watershed 102 Whortlekill Creek Watershed 106 Wiccopee Creek Watershed 111 Conclusion (Looking towards the Future) 115 IV Management Strategies for Achieving Watershed Conservation Goals and Objectives Introduction 117 Watershed Conservation Objectives 117 Subwatershed Specific Recommendations 118 Entire Fishkill Creek Watershed 118 Fishkill Creek Main Stem Watershed 119 Sprout Creek Watershed 119 Clove Creek Watershed 119 Jackson Creek Watershed 119 Whaley Lake Brook Watershed 120 v Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Whortlekill Creek Watershed 120 Wiccopee Creek Watershed 120 V Additional Watershed Protection Measures Litter/Solid Waste 121 Old or Inadequate Stormwater Runoff Infrastructure 121 Water Quality Monitoring 121 Regulatory Analysis 121 Municipal Studies (land-use, Master Plans, etc.) 122 Evaluation of Projects and Procedures 122 White-Tailed Deer Management 122 Additional Issues 122 Incentive Programs for Watershed Conservation 122 Wetland Reserve Program 123 Conservation Reserve Program 123 Green Power Partnership 124 Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program 124 Education 124 VI Best Management Practices Agricultural Management Practices 127 Construction and Resource Extraction Management Practices 128 Hydrologic and Habitat Modification Management Practices 130 Water Quality and Habitat Protection 131 On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems (septic systems) Management Practices 131 Leaks, Spills and Accidents Management Practices 134 Roadway and Right-of-way Maintenance Management Practices 135 Silviculture Management Practices 136 Urban/Stormwater Runoff Management Practices 137 vi Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Policy and Programs for Stormwater Control 141 Vernal Pool Management 144 References 147 Appendices 1. Acronyms 155 2. Watershed Environmental Resource Directory 156 3. Geographic Information System Data Sources for Maps 166 4. NYSDEC and National Wetland Inventory Wetland Classifications 167 5. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s stream classification 172 (From: 6 NYCRR Part 701) 6. Streamwalk, 2004 Summary 174 vii Natural Resources Management Plan for the Fishkill Creek Watershed Tables Table 1. Mission Statement and Goals of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Planning Committee 7 Table 2. Top Ten Watershed Threats 9 Table 3. Website and Online Discussion Group 9 Table 4. Watershed Municipalities 10 Table 5. Subwatershed Acreage 10 Table 6. Land Use in Fishkill Watershed 12 Table 7. Land Use in Dutchess Cty. Portion of Watershed 12 Table 8. Land Use in Putnam Cty. Portion of Watershed 13 Table 9. Land Use Comparison, 1995 to 2000 13 Table 10. Water Quality Classifications and Standards of Quality and Purity 18 Table 11. Waterbodies Greater Than 10 Acres in the Fishkill Creek Watershed 19 Table 12. Fishkill Creek Watershed Surface Water SPDES Discharge Sites 27 Table 13. Fishkill Creek Watershed Groundwater SPDES Discharge Sites 28 Table 14. Dams in the Fishkill Creek Watershed 34 Table 15. Fish Collected in the Fishkill Basin in July and October 1988 39 Table 16. Fish Collected in the Fishkill basin during summer, 2001 39 Table 17. Fishkill Creek Macroinvertebrate Community present in 1991 40 Table 18. 1999 Macroinvertebrate data from the Fishkill Creek 42 Table 19. Federal Wetlands over 50 acres in the Fishkill Creek Watershed 47 Table 20. NYS Regulated Wetlands over 100 acres in the Fishkill Watershed 48 Table 21. Demographics for Municipalities in the Fishkill Creek Watershed 65 Table 22. Recreation Areas in the Fishkill Creek Watershed 67 Table 23. Rationale for the analysis