DOCSLIB.ORG

Watervliet Reservoir Watershed Protection Study

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Watervliet Reservoir Watershed Protection Study Watervliet Reservoir Watershed Protection Study Prepared by: The Capital District Regional Planning Commission INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 WATERVLIET RESERVOIR OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................................................... 6 WATER QUALITY OF THE RESERVOIR ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND USE, DEVELOPMENT AND WATER QUALITY............................................................................ 11 CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES................................................................................................................................................. 18 Wetlands ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Flood Plains .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Steep Slopes.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Soils ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Aquifers .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Helderberg Escarpment and Karst Geology ................................................................................................................................................... 23 PUBLIC SEWER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................................................. 26 WATER SYSTEM EXPANSION PLANS.................................................................................................................................................... 26 EXISTING LAND USE ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 POPULATION GROWTH AND NEW DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................................. 32 EXISTING POLICIES AND REGULATIONS................................................................................................................................................. 36 FEDERAL ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 NEW YORK STATE ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 LOCAL TOWN REGULATIONS................................................................................................................................................................. 50 ISSUES, THREATS AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................................ 70 THE NORTHEAST INDUSTRIAL PARK ................................................................................................................................................... 71 FORMER TOWN LANDFILL ...................................................................................................................................................................... 84 PROXIMITY OF ROADS ............................................................................................................................................................................. 86 INVASIVE PLANTS ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 90 GRAVEL QUARRY ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 93 FRAGMENTED DEVELOPMENT REVIEW.............................................................................................................................................. 95 LAWN CHEMICALS .................................................................................................................................................................................... 98 FUTURE WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES................................................................................ 103 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................................................................. 112 APPENDIX A: Proposed Revision to the NYS Department of Health Watershed Rules and Regulations for the Watervliet Reservoir Watershed. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 114 APPENDIX B: NYS DEC Stream Classifications (see map on pg. 45) .......................................................................................................... 134 2 APPENDIX C:New York State Pollution Discharge and Elimination System (SPDES) Point Source Permits ............................................. 139 APPENDIX D: Sediment and Erosion Control, Storm Water Management Guidelines and Best Management Practices ............................. 140 MAPS: Locator Map.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Base Map .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Environmental Features...................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Soil Suitability For Septic Fields........................................................................................................................................................................ 21 Land Cover 1997 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Public Sewer Districts and SPDES Discharge Locations................................................................................................................................... 29 Public Water Districts......................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Land Use............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Watershed Development..................................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Stream Classifications ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 44 Residential Development Potential..................................................................................................................................................................... 69 3 INTRODUCTION According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2002 “National Water Quality Inventory” report, three decades after passage of the Clean Water Act, water pollution in the United States is rising. The report evaluated 700,000 miles of rivers and 17.3 million acres of lakes and noted that 39 percent of the streams, 45 percent of the lakes, and 51 percent of the estuaries are too polluted for fishing, swimming or drinking. A separate report issued in 2002 by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that the nation’s waterways have been infiltrated by a host of trace chemicals – caffeine, contraceptives, painkillers, insect repellents, perfumes, and nicotine – from items such as medications, beauty aids, cleaners and foods, which are largely unregulated, and defy municipal wastewater treatment. This emerging class of contaminants are known as “pharmaceutical
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Brooklyn College and Graduate School of the City University of NY, Brooklyn, NY 11210 and Northeastern Science Foundation Affiliated with Brooklyn College, CUNY, P.O
    FLYSCH AND MOLASSE OF THE CLASSICAL TACONIC AND ACADIAN OROGENIES: MODELS FOR SUBSURFACE RESERVOIR SETTINGS GERALD M. FRIEDMAN Brooklyn College and Graduate School of the City University of NY, Brooklyn, NY 11210 and Northeastern Science Foundation affiliated with Brooklyn College, CUNY, P.O. Box 746, Troy, NY 12181 ABSTRACT This field trip will examine classical sections of the Appalachians including Cambro-Ordovician basin-margin and basin-slope facies (flysch) of the Taconics and braided and meandering stteam deposits (molasse) of the Catskills. The deep­ water settings are part of the Taconic sequence. These rocks include massive sandstones of excellent reservoir quality that serve as models for oil and gas exploration. With their feet, participants may straddle the classical Logan's (or Emmon 's) line thrust plane. The stream deposits are :Middle to Upper Devonian rocks of the Catskill Mountains which resulted from the Acadian Orogeny, where the world's oldest and largest freshwater clams can be found in the world's oldest back-swamp fluvial facies. These fluvial deposits make excellent models for comparable subsurface reservoir settings. INTRODUCTION This trip will be in two parts: (1) a field study of deep-water facies (flysch) of the Taconics, and (2) a field study of braided- and meandering-stream deposits (molasse) of the Catskills. The rocks of the Taconics have been debated for more than 150 years and need to be explained in detail before the field stops make sense to the uninitiated. Therefore several pages of background on these deposits precede the itinera.ry. The Catskills, however, do not need this kind of orientation, hence after the Taconics (flysch) itinerary, the field stops for the Catskills follow immediately without an insertion of background informa­ tion.
    [Show full text]
  • Freshwater Fishing: a Driver for Ecotourism
    New York FRESHWATER April 2019 FISHINGDigest Fishing: A Sport For Everyone NY Fishing 101 page 10 A Female's Guide to Fishing page 30 A summary of 2019–2020 regulations and useful information for New York anglers www.dec.ny.gov Message from the Governor Freshwater Fishing: A Driver for Ecotourism New York State is committed to increasing and supporting a wide array of ecotourism initiatives, including freshwater fishing. Our approach is simple—we are strengthening our commitment to protect New York State’s vast natural resources while seeking compelling ways for people to enjoy the great outdoors in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The result is sustainable economic activity based on a sincere appreciation of our state’s natural resources and the values they provide. We invite New Yorkers and visitors alike to enjoy our high-quality water resources. New York is blessed with fisheries resources across the state. Every day, we manage and protect these fisheries with an eye to the future. To date, New York has made substantial investments in our fishing access sites to ensure that boaters and anglers have safe and well-maintained parking areas, access points, and boat launch sites. In addition, we are currently investing an additional $3.2 million in waterway access in 2019, including: • New or renovated boat launch sites on Cayuga, Oneida, and Otisco lakes • Upgrades to existing launch sites on Cranberry Lake, Delaware River, Lake Placid, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, Chautauqua Lake and Fourth Lake. New York continues to improve and modernize our fish hatcheries. As Governor, I have committed $17 million to hatchery improvements.
    [Show full text]
  • T a P P a N Z
    Federal Dam Watervliet Rt. 787 Bridge Starbuck Island Troy Rt. 2 Bridge Water chestnut Vallisneria Rt. 378 Bridge Other Stuff Albany Rensselaer Amtrack Bridges Rt. 20 Bridge Normans Kill Papscaneek Island e e r C e Campbell Island e n a c s p a Vloman Kill P Shad Island Castleton-On-Hudson Conrail and To 90 Bridges k Upper Schodack Island e e r C Lower Schodack Island k c a d o h Ravena c S Houghtaling Island k Cree Mill Bronck Island Coxsackie Island Nutten Hook Coxsackie Stockport Middle Ground Creek kport Stoc West Flats Middle Ground Flats Athens Hudson C Catskill a Rogers Island t sk il Rip Van Winkle Bridge l R o e Inbocht Bay li ff Ja nse Duck Cove n K ill Germantown Saugerties Esop us Creek Tivoli North Bay Tivoli South Bay Kingston-Rinecliff Bridge Kingston reek t C ou nd Ro Esopus Vanderburgh Meadows Cove Point Norrie State Park reek k C ac Bl Blunts Rock Bard Rock Highland Conrail Bridge Mid-Hudson Bridge Poughkeepsie k Lattintown Cre ree ek r C ge Marlboro in pp Wappingers Falls a W Newburgh Beacon Denning Point Fishkill Creek M ood na a Pollepel Island Cold Spring Constitution Island West Point Con Hook ek Bear Mt. Bridge re C le il sv nn Iona Island A Peekskill Bear Mt. State Park Peekskill Bay Buchanan Stony Point State Park H Georges Park Island A d V Pon E dar R Ce S T R A Croton-on-Hudson W r e v Haverstraw B i A R Y n o t o Croton r Point C Ossining T A P P A N Z E E Nyack Tarrytown Tappan Zee Bridge Piermont Irvington Piermont Marsh Hastings-on-Hudson Yonkers Yonkers Tenafly Englewood BRONX RIVER George Washington Bridge Bronx Fort Lee Fairview Union City Manhattan Hoboken EAST RIVER Jersey City Williamsburg Bridge Manhattan Bridge Brooklyn Bridge Bayonne Brooklyn KILL VAN KULL Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
    [Show full text]
  • NATURAL AREAS and WILDLIFE in YOUR COMMUNITY a Habitat Summary Prepared for the Town of East Greenbush
    NATURAL AREAS AND WILDLIFE IN YOUR COMMUNITY A Habitat Summary Prepared for the Town of East Greenbush This summary was completed in September 2018, providing information for land-use planning and decision-making as requested by the Town of East Greenbush. It identifies significant ecosystems in the Town, including coastal habitats, streams, forests, wetlands, and other natural areas with important biological values. This summary is based only on existing information available to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and its partners, and, therefore should not be considered a complete inventory. Additional information about habitats in our region can be found in the Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Framework developed by the Hudson River Estuary Program (Penhollow et al. 2006) and in the Biodiversity Assessment Manual for the Hudson River Estuary Corridor developed by Hudsonia and published by DEC (Kiviat and Stevens 2001). Ecosystems of the estuary watershed—wetlands, forests, stream corridors, grasslands, and shrublands—are not only habitat for abundant fish and wildlife, but also support the estuary and provide many vital benefits to human communities. These ecosystems help to keep drinking water and air clean, moderate temperature, filter pollutants, and absorb floodwaters. They also provide opportunity for outdoor recreation and education, and create the scenery and sense of place that is unique to the Hudson Valley. Local land-use planning efforts are instrumental in balancing future development with protection of these resources. By conserving sufficient habitat to support the region’s astonishing diversity of plants and animals, communities can ensure that healthy, resilient ecosystems—and the benefits they provide—are available to future generations.
    [Show full text]
  • How's the Water? Hudson River Water Quality and Water Infrastructure
    HOW’S THE WATER? Hudson River Water Quality and Water Infrastructure The Hudson River Estuary is an engine of life for the coastal ecosystem, the source of drinking water for more than 100,000 people, home to the longest open water swim event in the world, and the central feature supporting the quality of life and $4.4 billion tourism economy for the region. This report focuses on one important aspect of protecting and improving Hudson River Estuary water quality – sewage-related contamination and water infrastructure. Untreated sewage puts drinking water and recreational users at risk. Water quality data presented here are based on analysis of more than 8,200 samples taken since 2008 from the Hudson River Estuary by Riverkeeper, CUNY Queens College, Columbia University’s Lamont- Doherty Earth Observatory; and from its tributaries by dozens of partner organizations and individual 21% community scientists. Water infrastructure information Hudson River Estuary samples presented here is based on data from the Department that failed to meet federal safe of Environmental Conservation and Environmental swimming guidelines Facilities Corporation, which administers State Revolving Funds. 44 Municipally owned wastewater While the Hudson River is safe for swimming at most treatment plants that locations on most days sampled, raw sewage overflows discharge to the Estuary and leaks from aging and failing infrastructure too often make waters unsafe. The Hudson’s tributaries $4.8 Billion – the smaller creeks and rivers that feed it – are often Investment needed in sources of contamination. wastewater infrastructure in the Hudson River Watershed To improve water quality, action is needed at the federal, state and local levels to increase and prioritize infrastructure investments.
    [Show full text]
  • Comprehensive Land Use Plan May 1994
    i l I j Town of New Scotland It1 ALBANY COUNTY i NEW YORK MAY 1994 7 lttT c 1 i O pE 21E 1VE L 1J I f11 Cre mr 011 r LtL r LJUx II X 5 51ftIi 11 X t Ii qHIF RJCE oIf1 O fME fJ5ilL 1MP5tCT rA f i STZtPE ME J rr I t prepared by the Town of New Scotland PlanningBoard iJ f l v t i J I I j t jJ i I A J Town of New Scotland BUILDING ZONING DEPARTMENT If C Ill PAUL M CANTLIN C C A 11II BUILDING INSPECTOR W F ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TOWN AlL If SLlNGERLANDS N Y 12159 518 765 3356 I i t c iijS Town of New ScotlaDd J Town Board Herbert Reilly Jr Supervisor Edward Donohue Councilman Richard Decker Councilman Scott Houghtaling Councilman Victoria Ramundo Councilman Corinne Cossac Town Clerk John T Biscone Town Attorney Town P1Al1lling Board Robert Stapf Chairman and Member Annick Belleville Member Raymond G MacKay Jr Member John Loucks Member William Childs Member Ann Dieckman Member Robert Smith Member L Michael Mackey Planning Board Attorney Zoning Board of Appeals jO George Miller Chairman and Member Frederic Carl Member Albert Dankert Member Ronnie Von Ronne Member Judith Wing Member Other Town Ofllces Michael Hotaling Highway Superintendent Kenneth Connolly Town Justice Tom Dolin Town Justice Paul Cantlin Building Inspector Paul Jeffers Code Enforcement Inspector Marily Holmberg Tax Collector Previous Contributing Town and pIAnnfng Board Memebers Wyman Osterhout Councilman John Sgarlata Councilman Peter VanZetten Councilman Craig Schufelt Councilman Robert G Hampston Planning Board Chair Samuel Stein Planning Board Member Ann Richards Planning
    [Show full text]
  • Summer Is Here! Are You Weather Ready?
    Summer is Here! Are you Weather Ready? NOAA and the National Weather Service define summer as the months of June, July and August. Summer weather is usually tranquil, but is often interrupted by periods of thunderstorms with heavy rain and strong winds. The heavy downpours can cause flash flooding, and winds can bring down trees and wires and knock out power. Every now and then, a hurricane or tropical storm crosses the region with significant impacts. The following is a list of notable summer storms with some links for reference. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list, but a list to give an idea of what weather conditions to be prepared for in the summer so you can be summer weather ready. Tropical Storms and Hurricanes: Hurricane Agnes, June 1972 Agnes made secondary landfall near New York City as a strong tropical storm then merged with a low pressure system resulting in heavy rains. Flooding that began in Westchester County on June 19, was followed by widespread flooding in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes on June 23. This was a devastating flood event in Elmira and Corning, NY. This storm produced widespread heavy rains of 6 to 12 inches across Pennsylvania and western New York. Although more than 10 inches of rain was recorded at Slide Mountain, NY, flooding along the Esopus Creek was relatively minor. At Great Sacandaga Lake, the water level reached a record height for the 42-year history of the lake. https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1975/0034/report.pdf Hurricane Bertha, July 1996 Hurricane Bertha was an early season Category 2 storm when it made landfall on the coast of North Carolina on July 12, 1996.
    [Show full text]
  • 4. Water Temperature
    A. GENERAL OVERVH3W The cultural and natural history of the Hudson River has been studied and described by individuals and institutions with diverse interests and opinions since the beginning of recorded history in America. There is a wealth of orm mat ion and data to describe the environmental setting for the proposed action; this chapter summarizes this idormation, highlighting and describing in detail those aspects of the environment that are potentially influenced by the action. Information from many sources has been reviewed and included; however, the bulk of the data used to describe the biology, chemistry, and physical processes of the Hudson River come ffom the monitoring program developed in consultation with the DEC over the past 12 years. The sampling design, equipment, and standard operating procedures for all aspects of the monitoring studies have been described in detail in annual reports (see Appendix V-1). A synopsis of the program is included in Appendix V-2. For the reader's convenience key elements of the program are summarized as appropriate in the sections on biological and chemical characteristics. Few water bodies have been the subject of sampling and evaluation over a multiyear period. The major deterrents to accumulating usable multiyear data are year-to-year inconsistencies in sampling and analysis protocols. All sampling and analyses are described in detail in the references listed in Appendix V-1 . To control bias introduced by changes, even inadvertent, in standard procedures, the Hudson River Utilities Monitoring Program was the subject of an extensive, documented, quality control and assurance program. The components of the QNQC pro- and its results are described in Young et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Flood of January 19-20, 1996 in New York State
    Flood of January 19-20, 1996 in New York State By Richard Lumia U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4252 Prepared in cooperation with the IISRS New York State Department of Transportation science for a changing world Albany, New York 1998 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas J. Casadevall, Acting Director The use of trade, product, or firm names in this report is for identification or location purposes only and does not constitute endorsement of products by the U.S. Geological Survey, nor impute responsibility for any present or potential effects on the natural resources of the United States. For addtional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services 425 Jordan Road Box 25286 Troy, New York 12180 Denver, CO 80225-0286 CONTENTS Page Abstract....................................................................................... 1 Introduction.................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Scope ......................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments ......................................................................... 3 Physiography and Climate of New York and the Catskill Mountain Region .................................. 4 Physiography.............................................................................. 4 Climate .................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • NATURAL AREAS and WILDLIFE in YOUR COMMUNITY a Habitat Summary Prepared for the Town of Bethlehem
    NATURAL AREAS AND WILDLIFE IN YOUR COMMUNITY A Habitat Summary Prepared for the Town of Bethlehem This summary was completed in August 2017 as an update to an earlier 2008 summary, providing information for land- use planning and decision-making as requested by the Town of Bethlehem. It identifies significant ecosystems in the Town, including coastal habitats, streams, forests, wetlands, and other natural areas with important biological values. This summary is based only on existing information available to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and its partners, and, therefore should not be considered a complete inventory. Additional information about habitats in our region can be found in the Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Framework developed by the Hudson River Estuary Program (Penhollow et al. 2006) and in the Biodiversity Assessment Manual for the Hudson River Estuary Corridor developed by Hudsonia and published by DEC (Kiviat and Stevens 2001). Ecosystems of the estuary watershed—wetlands, forests, stream corridors, grasslands, and shrublands—are not only habitat for abundant fish and wildlife, but also support the estuary and provide many vital benefits to human communities. These ecosystems help to keep drinking water and air clean, moderate temperature, filter pollutants, and absorb floodwaters. They also provide opportunity for outdoor recreation and education, and create the scenery and sense of place that is unique to the Hudson Valley. Local land-use planning efforts are instrumental in balancing future development with protection of these resources. By conserving sufficient habitat to support the region’s astonishing diversity of plants and animals, communities can ensure that healthy, resilient ecosystems—and the benefits they provide—are available to future generations.
    [Show full text]
  • Federal Obligations 10/1/16 to 9/30/17
    FEDERAL OBLIGATIONS 10/1/16 TO 9/30/17 Source: NYSDOT Region One Projects with Bicycle and/or Pedestrian facilities as part of a larger project are denoted by an asterisk (“*”). Projects specifically identified as Bicycle and/or Pedestrian projects are denoted by a double asterisk (“**”). PIN TIP # PHASE FUND SOURCE TITLE Amount Date 181000 CONINSP STP FLEX GUIDERAIL REPLACEMENT SFY 16 -6,793 11/2/2016 181020 CONINSP STP FLEX BRIDGE 5-7 15,390 2/15/2017 181020 CONINSP STP FLEX BRIDGE 5-7 163,684 4/25/2017 ER - PERMANENT CULVERT REPAIRS, 175830 CONST Demo 158,646 2/27/2017 SCH'DY COUNTY ER EVENT NY11-03 TROPICAL STORM LEE - 1E1136 CONST Demo 2,953,255 3/23/2017 SCHENECTADY CO. ER EVENT NY11-03 TROPICAL STORM LEE - 1E1136 CONST Demo 3,042,381 2/7/2017 SCHENECTADY CO. 181000 CONST NHPP GUIDERAIL REPLACEMENT SFY 16 -44,855 11/2/2016 181020 CONST NHPP BRIDGE 5-7 264,720 2/15/2017 181000 CONST STP RURAL GUIDERAIL REPLACEMENT SFY 16 -23,107 11/2/2016 180960 CONST STP URBAN CRACK SEALING SFY16 57,229 4/25/2017 TAP/CMAQ - RIVER/ROSENDALE RD * 176077 DETLDES CMAQ 73,600 9/15/2017 ROUND-A-BOUT HUDSON RIVER CORRIDOR BUS RAPID ** CDTC90 DETLDES NHPP 670,000 2/8/2017 TRANSIT RT. 4 & 32 HUDSON RIVER CORRIDOR BUS RAPID ** CDTC90 DETLDES STP FLEX 770,000 2/8/2017 TRANSIT RT. 4 & 32 TAP/CMAQ - CAPITAL DISTRICT ** 176078 MISC CMAQ 1,120,000 8/8/2017 BIKESHARE TAP/CMAQ - CAPITAL DISTRICT ** 176078 OPER CMAQ 880,000 8/8/2017 BIKESHARE TAP/CMAQ - RIVER/ROSENDALE RD ** 176077 PRELDES CMAQ 140,800 6/28/2017 ROUND-A-BOUT HUDSON RIVER CORRIDOR BUS RAPID ** CDTC90 PRELDES NHPP 180,000 10/15/2016 TRANSIT RT.
    [Show full text]
  • Wetland Delineation Report REVISED WETLAND DELINEATION REPORT
    ATTACHMENT F Revised Attachment F: Wetland Delineation Report REVISED WETLAND DELINEATION REPORT Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Prepared for: Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. Toronto, Ontario Prepared by: TRC ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATION Wannalancit Mills 650 Suffolk St Lowell, MA 01854 February 2012 (Revised) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1 2.0 PROJECT ROUTE OVERVIEW ....................................................................................1 3.0 WETLAND DELINEATION METHODOLOGY .........................................................2 4.0 WETLAND DELINEATION RESULTS ........................................................................4 4.1 Vegetation ................................................................................................................4 4.2 Hydrology ................................................................................................................7 4.3 Soils..........................................................................................................................8 4.4 Natural Resource Conservation Service Soil Series Descriptions ...........................8 5.0 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................24 6.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................25 TABLES Table 4-1 Summary of Wetlands
    [Show full text]