Clean, safe and filter-free

In the closing days of 2017, the State Depart- tion by December 31, 2026; ment of Health issued a ten-year Filtration Avoidance De-  The CWC’s Future Stormwater Fund will be replen- termination (FAD), setting forth the requirements that New ished, and the process to reimburse applicants will be York City must follow to continue to avoid filtering the streamlined through CWC coordination. Catskill/Delaware water supply, and to safeguard the drink-  The city will fund, through its Stream Management Pro- ing water for more than 9.5 million New Yorkers. gram or through CWC’s Flood Hazard Mitigation Im- The 2017 FAD, shaped by input from many Watershed plementation Program, projects recommended by com- stakeholders, including the CWC and the Coalition of Wa- munity Local Flood Analyses. tershed Towns, is the fourth issued since the NYC Water- shed Memorandum of Agreement was signed in 1997. The FAD also requires the city to fund implementation of agricultural best management practices on watershed Several new and expanded programs contained in the farms, and protection of streamside lands through use of the FAD will be coordinated by the CWC: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the  The Small Business Septic Repair Program will be ex- Streamside Acquisition Program and existing stream resto- panded to include non-profit organizations, municipali- ration and stabilization programs. ties and institutions.  A new community wastewater treatment facility for the A panel of experts, convened by the National Acade- hamlet of Shokan will be developed under the existing mies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, will review the Community Wastewater Management Program. City’s watershed protection programs and Catskill turbidity  A new building will be constructed in the Watershed to control tools beginning early next year. Its findings, ex- co-locate CWC and NYC DEP watershed protection pected in October 2020, will inform a mid-term review of staff. The FAD requires the City to sign a binding com- the 10-year FAD to determine if revisions are needed for the mitment to lease space in the new CWC-owned office next FAD, scheduled for 2027. building and to assign at least 40 DEP staff to this loca-

1 Septic Programs

From Conesville to Hurley, Neversink to Kortright, An- a new tank. des to Jewett, homeowners across the Watershed benefitted Two businesses also benefitted from CWC septic assis- from rejuvenated septic systems in 2017. tance. Nadia Steinzor of Willow in Ulster County was among The Septic Maintenance Program paid half the cost of 178 homeowners who participated in the CWC’s Residential pumping and inspecting 263 newer residential systems Septic Rehabilitation and Replacement Program during the (those installed since 1995). In addition, 15 homeowners year. “For quite some time I dreaded an inevitable change on whose properties may be hooked up to five proposed com- my family’s property – getting a NYC-approved septic sys- munity wastewater systems in the next couple of years, have tem,” she wrote to CWC Executive Director Alan Rosa. had their failing systems managed with interim repairs and “Thanks to the partnership between DEP and the Catskill regular pump-outs to keep them going in the meantime. Watershed Corp., the process was much easier than I ex- The total number of septic systems repaired, replaced or pected and I couldn’t be happier with the result.” managed since 1997 reached 5,303 in 2017. CWC staff has Ms. Steinzor expressed gratitude for the CWC’s quick visited 7,379 property owners since the program’s incep- reimbursement of expenses. (The property is not her perma- tion. Pump-outs and inspections completed to date under the nent residence and she was reimbursed 60% of engineering, maintenance program totaled 1,975. excavating and materials cost. Others claiming full-time res- For Nadia Steinzor, the end result of the work done on ident status qualified for 100% reimbursement.) her Willow property was peace of mind: “The septic pro- The majority (86) of the systems installed in 2017 were gram makes it possible for homeowners to secure better sep- alternative designs to accommodate small or steep lots, tic systems, and more importantly, to do their part to protect property constraints or poor soils. Seventy-six systems were land and water supplies across the Catskills.” conventional or modified designs. Six projects only required

2 Community Wastewater Management

Swift progress is being made on finding solutions to dif- properties four miles south to connect with the city system ficult wastewater issues in six more population centers be- at Arkville. The Middletown Town Board voted to enter the ing addressed by the Community Wastewater Management pre-construction phase on December 13. A block grant of Program (CWMP). $8,954,000 has been approved. During 2017, block grants were approved for four pro- jects, and their respective municipal boards voted to pro- Claryville, Sullivan and Ulster Counties. ceed to the design phase. At year’s end, site investigations 130 properties are to be served through a Septic Mainte- continued at two additional hamlets. Participation is volun- nance District that straddles the Towns of Neversink and tary; municipalities may pull out of the projects at any point Denning. More than 80 on-site septic systems had been un- prior to commencement of construction. covered, pumped and inspected by the end of the year. The As CWMP coordinator, Lamont Engineers is contracted remainder will be done in early 2018. Substandard systems to design all six projects, as it has for nine projects already will be replaced and all will be put on a rotating schedule of completed under this program. More than 700 households pump-outs and inspections. The block grant for this project, and businesses are being served by systems that have been including yearly operation and maintenance, is $8,655,000. developed over the past 20 years in Bovina Center, Delanc- ey, Hamden, Bloomville, Boiceville, Ashland, Trout Creek, New Kingston, Delaware County. Lexington and South Kortright. Five pending projects will The smallest of the hamlets to be included in the CWM Pro- add another 325 properties; the scope of the sixth, Shokan, gram, New Kingston, in the Town of Middletown, has 28 has not yet been determined. properties that are expected to be served by a system whose components are still being formulated. A preliminary engi- neer’s report is under review. The following projects are in process:

Shokan, Ulster County. Shandaken, Ulster County. Because of its size and proximity to the Ashokan Reser- A variety of treatment options is envisioned to handle voir , this hamlet along NYS Route 28 in the Town of Olive wastewater from 60 properties. Some sites will be included was added to the roster of CWMP communities in the 2017 in a Septic Maintenance District. Others will have conven- Filtration Avoidance Determination. Chazen Companies, tional on-site septic systems, some with modifications to which was hired by the CWC at a cost of $7,500 to study improve treatment. Another set of properties will retain on- the proposed service area, delivered its report in December. site septic tanks and send effluent to remote leach fields. That report is under review by involved agencies. The Shandaken Town Board voted to enter the pre- construction phase on September 11, 2017. A block grant of $6,770,000 has been approved by NYC DEP.

West Conesville, Schoharie County. A small diameter gravity sewer system with shallow absorp- West Conesville tion beds to filter effluent will be developed for 54 systems. Soils on a site one mile from the hamlet, were tested in Sep- tember and proved acceptable for the absorption beds. A block grant of $8,411,000, including funds for land acquisi- tion, has been approved. The Conesville Town Board agreed to enter the pre-construction phase October 4.

Halcottsville, Delaware County. Small lots in this hamlet along the East Branch of the Dela- ware River prompted designers to recommend that wastewater be transported to the Margaretville Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is owned and operated by NYC DEP. A large-diameter collection system with pump station will be developed to carry wastewater from 53 Halcottsville

3 Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation

The CWC Board in 2017 took the following FHMI actions: eligible for or chose not to participate in the FEMA flood buyout program. Structures are to be Approved a grant of up to $900,000 to Ulster County to demolished after closing. The first project coordi- remove the Mt. Pleasant Bridge over the Esopus nated by CWC was undertaken in November in Creek near the hamlet of Mt. Tremper, Town of Jewett, where a house inundated by the East Kill Shandaken. Closed for several decades, the bridge’s stream in 2011 was removed by Tweedie Con- removal is recommended to allow construction of struction of Walton for $52,491. flood plain benches that would lower flood eleva-

tions and lessen inundation in nearby buildings, and The FHMI program also reimburses property owners to prevent it from coming unmoored in the next and fuel suppliers for costs associated with anchoring above- flood and potentially damaging a State-owned ground oil and gas tanks that could tip over within a building bridge downstream. In January 2018 the Board ap- or float downstream during high water events, causing pollu- proved hiring Brinier & Larios for engineering ser- tion, property damage and risks to public health and safety. vices required in advance of demolition at a cost of Fifteen tanks – 10 commercial and five residential – located $44,500. The CWC is administering this project at within the 500-year flood plain were secured in 2017. The the county’s request. program pays to empty the tanks, pour concrete pads if re- Awarded a $23,000 grant to the Town of Windham for quired, secure the tanks with ground anchors and galvanized design of streambank stabilization measures on straps, and place vent lines with hookups at least two feet Mitchell Hollow stream in the hamlet of Windham. above the historical high water mark. Funds are being used to engage Delaware Engineer- Another CWC initiative, the Sustainable Communities ing to conduct a topographical survey and an assess- Program, offers grants for municipalities to update zoning or ment of the area and then design measures to correct comprehensive plans to identify areas where homes and slope failure, prevent further bank collapse and ero- businesses might be relocated out of the flood plain. A sion and protect structures downstream. $20,000 grant was awarded to the Town of Olive in October Authorized a two-year contract with Chazen Compa- to identify new sites for the potential relocation of anchor nies for up to $50,000 to provide engineering and businesses and residences in Boiceville which sustained project management for the demolition of struc- heavy damage in 2011. Other studies funded under this pro- tures acquired through the -funded gram in 2016 are ongoing in Shandaken, Lexington and flood buyout program. This voluntary program is Walton. intended to assist property owners who were not

The Mt. Pleasant Bridge, pictured in shadow on the , is expected to come down in 2018. Unused for dec- Anchoring fuel tanks will prevent them from ades, it poses a hazard to a State bridge downstream in the ending up as dangerous flood debris. event of future flooding.

4 Stormwater Programs

The CWC’s Future Stormwater Program fund was community redevelopment project off Washington tapped by a number of property owners and institutions Avenue in the hamlet of Prattsville. planning or undertaking building projects in 2017: The Village of Delhi was approved for up to $156,141 Conestoga Investments which is converting and expand- for costs associated with stormwater controls at a ing buildings on Dolan’s Lane in the Village of new paved River Walk recreational trail adjacent to Hunter into residential units was approved for reim- the West Branch of the Delaware River. The River- bursement of up to $43,333 in stormwater design walk project will also benefit from a $247,682 grant costs. The Board subsequently authorized up to from the Stormwater Retrofit Program for Phase 2 $176,505 in construction costs for the stormwater of the project, addressing existing impervious sur- installations, half the cost of the project. Conestoga faces in the vicinity of the trail. may apply to NYC DEP for the balance of eligible Full Moon Resort, a wedding and event venue in Oliver- costs. ea, Town of Shandaken, was approved for $60,177 Long Leasing (Allison Oil Co.) in the Town of Andes (50 percent of cost) for stormwater controls required was approved for reimbursement of up to $17,650 due to the construction of a concrete base for a large for design and construction of stormwater controls event pavilion. for a new building erected within 100 feet of a wa- Community Bank in Fleischmanns, which paved a park- tercourse at 580 Main Street in the hamlet of Andes. ing lot, was reimbursed $32,566 in design and imple- The company may apply to NYC DEP for reim- mentation costs for stormwater controls. bursement of an equal amount. The Town of Denning, was reimbursed $39,398 for The CWC Board authorized reimbursement of up to stormwater controls related to paving a parking lott. $89,415 for stormwater controls required for a new New York Land and Lakes was approved for $3,360, Dollar General store in Grand Gorge, Town of Rox- half of the design costs related to a SWPPP for a bury, developed by Columbus Midtown Properties subdivision located at Betty Brook and Swantak of Charlotte, NC. Roads in the Town of Kortright. The Town of Prattsville was authorized to receive up to O’Connor Hospital, Delhi was approved for $9,540 for $62,444 for stormwater controls required for the stormwater design for a parking lot expansion. construction of a medical clinic, part of a post-flood Continued on next page

A community health center for residents of Prattsville and environs will rise on this site in the near future. Stormwater controls have been installed with funding from the CWC.

5 Stormwater Programs

stormwater conveyances, perform hydraulic and Continued from previous page hydrologic tests and identify possible infrastruc- ture improvements. Reimbursement of construction costs for stormwater con- trols whose designs were funded by CWC in 2016 The Board also approved awards for the operation and was approved for Windham Mountain Retreat maintenance of previously funded and now completed ($25,795), Delhi Community Church ($1,592), 3115 stormwater controls at Delaware Valley Hospital, Walton Route 28 – Olive ($1,011), Roxbury Barn, LLC ($46,807); Kaatskill Mountain Club Condominiums, Hunter ($2,205), and Windham Mountain Outfitters - Hunter ($10,000), and the Town of Lexington ($31,278). ($7,494).

Several projects intended to correct existing runoff problems affecting water quality were funded by the Stormwater Ret- rofit Program: A grant of $220,174 went to the Village of Delhi to buy a new street sweeper and vacuum truck to collect dirt and debris from paved surfaces and remove sediment from catch basins. The Village must make the sweeper available to other Delaware County municipalities in the NYC Watershed. A grant of $43,500 was awarded to Delaware Academy and Central School for the design of a comprehen- sive stormwater improvement project on its campus in Delhi. Approval was given to allocate $213,518 for the installa- tion of bioretention and drainage structures to han- Contractor Kevin Thompson’s crew constructed a storm- dle runoff from parking areas at the Windham Thea- water treatment system at the Lanesville firehouse on Route 214, Town of Hunter, in early summer. The project was ter complex adjacent to the Bataviakill stream. required because an addition was built onto the structure A $50,000 grant was awarded to the Town of Walton to not far from a stream. CWC funding was allocated for this map and assess the condition of culverts and other project in late 2016.

Professional Development Seminars for Septic Designers

Eric Murdock, P.E., of Onsite Sales & Service of Syracuse presented a March 16 seminar at the CWC on recent advances in wastewater treatment and dispersal.

The workshop, in which Murdock looked at the coming gener- ation of treatment techniques and technologies, drew 20 engi- neers and contractors.

In July, representatives of E/One and Gorman-Rupp Pumps conducted a training in the design of low pressure sewers, sewer pump stations and wet well mixing tanks.

6 Outreach and Visitors A CWC Education Grant to Arm of the Sea Thea- ter enabled the troupe to remake its now-fabled “City That Drinks the Mountain Sky” to include new characters and messaging about how NYC and its partners are protecting the watershed and responding to emerging challenges, 20 years after the NYC Memorandum of Agreement was signed. The updated show was staged at CWC-sponsored performances at the Taste of the Catskills festival in Delhi, (below), and at the fountain plaza, which served as an opportunity to observe the 100th anniversary of the delivery of Catskill water to all five boroughs of the city.

A group of forest policy makers and managers from India visited the Catskills in late April to learn more about how the forested lands in New York City’s Watershed are protected and managed to preserve water quality. They also heard from the CWC and others about commu- nity and environmental preservation activities. The trip was part of the Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-PLUS) program, a five- year program designed and implemented by USAID/India and the Government of India in an effort to help that nation reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The trip was organized by Brian Houseal, Director of the Adirondack Ecological Center at SUNY ESF, and consultants from TetraTech, who are pictured at the Pepacton Reservoir with CWC Director Alan Rosa and visitors.

Syracuse University Professor Chris Johnson (top, second from left) brought students in his “Water for Gotham” course to the NYC Wa- tershed in October. They stayed at Frost Val- ley YMCA, visited Time and the Valleys Mu- seum and the Neversink Reservoir, and stopped at the CWC office for a discussion of NYC-Watershed relations.

7 Catskill Fund for the Future

Food! Glorious organic food! residents and visitors alike. Several new jobs will result Two of the ten CWC loans that closed in 2017 are from the expansion. helping to bring locally grown and produced food and Three lodging establishments are also expanding with beverage to an appreciative audience. help from CWC loans. Deanna D’Angelo Karpe was approved for a Full Moon Resort, where more than 80 weddings $125,000 loan to purchase, renovate and equip a c.1900 and many music camps, cultural workshops and other house on Bovina’s Main Street to serve as headquarters events are held each year, is using a $925,000 loan to add for her new catering firm. Specializing in locally-sourced, luxury cottages, rustic cabins, a spa and other facility im- organic and hand-made dishes (pictured), Chef Deanna provements to its Shandaken campus. A portion of the focuses much of her business on the booming country $925,000 loan was earmarked for septic improvements wedding trade. The Delaware County location, in a hamlet and for a spacious restroom near a new event pavilion. that is being revitalized as an agri-tourism center, allows Since 2002, the CWC has provided several loans as well Chef Deanna to purchase cheeses, meats, fruit, seasonal as stormwater assistance to Full Moon, which employs vegetables, breads and other ingredients from nearby pro- 140 people during the peak season. ducers, and to employ several people, including students The Roxbury, a motel that has undergone three and graduates of SUNY Delhi’s highly regarded culinary expansions since it opened in 2004, is adding a second program. Delaware County IDA partnered on the project. campus to accommodate its ever-growing worldwide cli- A $550,000 loan to Fabio Chizzola and Laura Ferra- entele (44,000+ visitors to date). The Roxbury at Stratton ra, owners of Westwind Orchard in Accord, Town of Falls will transform a historic mansion into a seven-room Rochester, will allow the certified organic farm to expand hotel, with eight more units to be located in themed cot- its hard cider production to increase profits and diversify tages designed with the partners’ trademark flair. A man- its offerings. A 40x80-foot solar-powered cider produc- ager’s residence, swimming pool, spa, walking trails and tion, tasting and events facility will be built and equipped, observation decks overlooking a 50-foot waterfall are all and 1,200 more apple trees will be planted. The farm of- part of the $9 million project, which has secured $3.2 mil- fers pick-your-own apples and berries, as well as vegeta- lion in state grants, construction financing from M&T Bank bles, eggs, pork and farm-made honey and maple syrup. and a $1.2 million loan from the CWC. Its special events, concerts and family activities have Continued on next page made Westwind Orchard a popular destination for local

8 Four partners have teamed up to purchase the Hillside Mountain Inn in Windham and transform it into a boutique lodge called Nordic House. A $440,000 CWC loan is ena- bling the purchase, renovation and expansion of the main house, and the addition of ‘glamping’ tents at the site, which includes a five-room motel. The 2.4 acre property is located at the intersection of Routes 23 and 296. A pair of retail businesses were also assisted by CWC financing in 2017. Catskill Seasons, selling outdoor apparel, sporting goods, toys and other gear, held its grand opening May 20. Support from the CWC allowed Linda Ballard to furnish and stock a rented storefront in the heart of Margaretville’s Main Street. This assistance allowed Ballard to take the leap from being a retail manager to opening her own store. Drew and Natasha Shuster, proprietors of Catskill Mountain Country Stores in Windham and Tanners- ville, received their third loan from the CWC. Selling Cats- kill products, country gifts, toys and apparel, the Shusters also operate restaurants at both locations. They were fea- tured in a video produced by the CWC in recognition of its 20th anniversary in 2017. Patrick Sheeley, a roofing contractor based in High Falls, Town of Marbletown, obtained a CWC loan of $555,000 to buy the Lucas Avenue property the firm has been renting for ten years. The 4.2 acre parcel includes two large steel buildings housing P. D. Sheeley Contracting and a firm that produces greenhouses, solariums and other glass structures. Additional space in the renamed High Falls Business Park is available for lease. Linda Ballard with some of the sporting supplies she sells at Businesses approved for loans that had not yet closed Catskill Seasons store in Margaretville. at year’s end included Catskill Ventures ($965,000), to de- velop Big Indian Adventure Park, a five course aerial recre- ation center on 13 acres in Big Indian, Town of Shandaken; The Crooked Cabana is among eight fanciful cottages slated to be and Sunflower Market ($500,000) to expand its Woodstock constructed at the new Roxbury Stratton Falls natural foods store.

9 Recreational Tourism The CWC is directly involved in several efforts to in- crease visibility of the Catskills, enhance tourism and spur the region’s economy. CWC is administering a $500,000 grant from the NYS 2015-2016 Aid to Localities budget via a line item for the De- partment of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Deliverables include:  Production of a Comprehensive Recreation Plan for the Catskills that capitalizes on public and conserved lands. This plan is being developed by Alta Planning and De- sign.  Design of a bike and cross country ski trail for the Shan- daken Wild Forest/Belleayre Mountain ski area. Tahawus Trails is developing the trail plan, which must be ap- proved and added to the DEC’s Unit Management Plan for the area before a trail system is built.  Improvements to parking areas, trailheads and information kiosks to allow better access to multi-use trails, campgrounds and Wild Forest entry points. One parking lot, below right, has been completed; contractors will be sought for additional identified projects in the coming months. The CWC matched and is also administering a $50,000 The CWC’s Municipal Assistance Loan Program in 2017 pro- NYS Smart Growth Implementation Grant awarded in 2015 to vided short-term low-interest loans to the Town of Olive to produce and install wayfinding signs like the one pictured be- replace a fuel oil furnace in the town highway garage with low left on principal corridors in the Catskill Park. Peter energy efficient propane-fired infrared heaters (highway super Manning (Genius Loci Planning) has sited, coordinated pro- Brian Burns pictured); the Town of Andes to purchase a front- duction and facilitated installation of these signs. end loader, and the Town of Bovina for costs associated with developing a new water supply well. The Catskill Interpretive Center in Mt. Tremper is going through a redesign to better interpret the attractions, recreation opportunities and culture of the Catskills. The CWC is fund- ing this re-imagining of the three-year-old center by the plan- ning and design firm of Partner and Partners.

10 Education Grants

Thirty education grants totaling nearly $168,000 were ap- received support to enhance programming for its outdoor water proved in 2017 by the CWC Board of Directors. More than 12,000 exhibit, “Dynamic H2O” that attracts thousands of families. students, teachers and adults will benefit from programs, projects Approximately $2.9 million -- 545 grants – were distributed in the and lessons relevant to the New York City Water System and its first 20 years of the program, in partnership with the NYC DEP. Catskill-Delaware Watershed. A passion for teaching – and learning about – the environ- ment, and in particular clean water, is evidenced in each year’s proposals, which are evaluated by 13 teachers and informal educa- tors. Whether employing new technology -- like building a class- room watershed with a 3-D printer, or developing a mobile app driving tour of a reservoir, or relying on close encounters with na- ture itself, funded projects reach hearts and minds and shape future behavior. New recipients in Round 20 included the Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve in Stamford (summer stream programs for youth); Hanford Mills Museum of East Meredith (a traveling program of water lessons for several Watershed schools); and the Livestock Foundation (public programming at a new agri-tourism and education center in Bovina). The Ashokan Center, Frost Valley YMCA Environmental Education Center and Trout in the Classroom are perennially popu- lar with teachers and young people alike. The Catskill Center’s Streamwatch program, Ira and Laurie McIntosh’s water- and farm- focused music and story programs, and school field trips to former reservoirs in the five boroughs of NYC offered by NYCH2O re- flect the variety of teaching methods and the multi-dimensional nature of water. A grant to Cornell Cooperative Extension, Delaware County is helping to cultivate young leaders eager to engage their peers in confronting the challenge of climate change. Gilboa-Conesville students examine macroinverte- In New York City, the Children’s Museum of brates from the Manorkill stream in Conesville.

. A total of 1,646 boats rode the waters of four NYC reservoirs in 2017 through the recrea- tional boating program. Many chose to rent boats from six businesses in the Catskills that store pre-cleaned canoes and kayaks alongside the reser- voirs: 968 canoes and kayaks were rented from local busi- nesses, the most of any year since rentals began in 2014. Kristen Artz, NYC DEP

11 CWC Board and Staff

2017-18 CWC Board of Directors Seated, l. to r. Mark McCarthy, Richard Parete, Michael Triolo, Robert Pelham, David Warne Standing: Thomas Hynes, Martin Donnelly, Anthony Van Glad, Tina Mole, Wayne Marshfield, James Sofranko. Not pic- tured: James Eisel, Innes Kasanof

The CWC entered its third decade with the addition of five new staffers, the next generation of Watershed stewards: Mitchell Hull, Samantha Cos- ta, Lynn Kavanaugh, Justine Rutherford and Sonia Martinez.

Roxbury Motel proprietor Greg Henderson led CWC Board and staff members on a tour of the expanding establishment September 5. The CWC has been a major supporter in the growth of the acclaimed lodging facility for the past 12 years.

12 CWC Staff Administration & Finance Technical Programs Alan Rosa, Executive Director Leo LaBuda, Environmental Engineering Specialist James Martin, Finance Director, Business Manager John Mathiesen, Environmental Engineering Specialist Timothy Cox, Corporate Counsel Kimberlie Ackerley, Stormwater Program Specialist Diane Galusha, Communications Director, Justine Rutherford, Administrative Assistant Education Coordinator Septic Program Specialists: Wendy Loper, Bookkeeper Todd Henderson Sonia Martinez, Secretary John Jacobson Samantha Costa, General Office Personnel Larry Kelly Charlie Schafer Economic Development Mitchell Hull Barbara Puglisi, Economic Development Director Philip Sireci, Program Specialist Jason Merwin, Program Specialist/Computers Lynn Kavanagh, Administrative Assistant Our Partners Federal, State and Regional Economic Development US Environmental Protection Agency Bank of Greene County NYC Department of Environmental Protection Catskill Hudson Bank New York State Community Bank Dept. of Environmental Conservation Delaware County Economic Development Dept. of State Delaware County Industrial Development Agency Dept. of Health Delaware National Bank of Delhi Energy Research & Development Agency Empire State Development Corp. Office for Small Cities Greene County Economic Development Appalachian Regional Commission Key Bank Watershed Protection & Partnership Council NBT Bank Watershed Agricultural Council New York Business Development Corp. Nat’l Assoc. of Development Organizations Rondout Savings Bank County Agencies Small Business Development Centers Soil & Water Conservation Districts: Delaware, Greene, Schohar- Sullivan County Partnership ie, Sullivan, Ulster Counties Ulster County Industrial Development Agency Cornell Cooperative Extension: Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Ulster County Economic Development Sullivan, Ulster Counties Ulster Savings Bank County Planning Departments: Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sul- Wayne Bank livan, Ulster Counties Community Development Delaware County Dept. of Watershed Affairs Catskill Center for Conservation and Development Greene County Watershed Assistance Program MARK Project Public Works Depts. of Delaware, Greene and Ulster Counties Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council Ulster County Dept. of the Environment

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A septic tank is delivered to a Windham home.

Mountain Sky Cottages at Full Moon Resort, recipient of a CWC loan.

A rain garden was among stormwater controls installed along the Bushkill stream in Fleisch- manns when Community Bank expanded its parking lot.

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Executive Director’s Message n entire generation of youngsters has come of age since We intend to work with our partner agencies in the coming few the Catskill Watershed Corporation was formed in 1997. years to see that Watershed youth have a chance to fill the shoes of A While they were learning to walk, talk, read, write, calcu- the retiring baby boomers who initiated this remarkable experiment late, compute and think about what they wanted to do when they in watershed protection. Let’s open the door and welcome the next grew up, we have been preparing for them. generation as they build lives and livelihoods here, and continue the work of protecting the Catskills we all cherish. With the CWC on firm footing, and some of us getting ready to dance on out of here into retirement, we recently welcomed five new 20-something staff members to learn the ropes and carry us forward. They have brought color and good humor to the office, and a subtle, supportive energy to our work. They were all born and raised in the Catskills, and these jobs – so important to the health of millions of New Yorkers and the well-being of Water- shed communities – allow them to do meaningful work and to stay where their roots are. In the next few years, there will be many more job openings across the Watershed – from equipment operators to engineers, electri- cians to hydrologists, foresters to environmental educators. There will be fewer reasons for high school and college graduates to head to greener pastures, as opportunity will emerge right here in their Alan Rosa own backyard.

A few words from the President success and has laid the groundwork for continuing a long term fter months of negotiations numerous meetings be- commitment to the watershed. tween CWC, the Coalition of Watershed Towns, sev- A Along with expanding our Septic Program, replenishing the Fu- eral environmental organizations, the NYS Departments of ture Stormwater Fund, providing funding for flood mitigation, Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC), federal Watershed Agricultural Council programs and protection of Environmental Protection Agency and NYC DEP, the fourth streamside land, the FAD also requires that 40 DEP watershed Filtration Avoidance Determi- protection staff be assigned to a new building to be constructed nation (FAD) was issued by the by and shared with the CWC. DOH at the end of December 2017. It is a testament to the We believe that proximity between CWC and DEP will improve success of the Memorandum of communication, reduce response time and avoid misunderstand- Agreement (MOA), signed in ings between regulatory staff and the watershed communities. 1997, and the wisdom of its We are confident this co-location will, over time, help stream- signers to create programs ad- line programs and reduce costs. ministered through a separate An ancillary benefit, but no less important, is that, as long term not-for-profit corporation, the Michael Triolo staff and the original negotiators of the MOA retire, the history CWC. of this great experiment, this historic partnership, will be kept Born of necessity, the CWC has clearly and definitively proven alive and sustained. And that, after all, is why we at CWC work that with well-defined programs, local leadership and a coopera- so hard at making our programs successful. tive attitude, this partnership between the greatest city in the In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin “Well done is bet- world and the watershed communities can protect and improve ter than well said.” water quality for 9.5 million New Yorkers. We at CWC are proud of our accomplishments. The new FAD recognizes our

15 Images from 2017 A map of Halcottsville and the poten- tial route of a wastewater line from the hamlet to Arkville is examined by La- mont Engineers’ Chris Yacobucci, standing, and Middletown Town Coun- cilman Ken Taylor at a December 6, 2017 public hearing on a proposed Community Wastewater Management Program project.

A rain garden was installed to capture stormwater runoff from an addition to the Delhi Community Church.

Students in Leah Exner’s third grade This streamside Jewett house was the first to be class at Cosar Elementary School tour removed after a NYC Flood Buyout. The CWC’s the Fallsburg school’s nature trail. Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program funded the demolition.

The 20th anniversary of the CWC was observed at the Board’s annual meeting (below right), held in April 2017 at Hanah Resort and Coun- try Club in Margaretville, where a new video debuted about our work in the New York City Watershed west of the . The 16- minute video, “The Catskill Watershed Corporation: 20 Years of Caring for the Catskills,” was produced by Vecc Videography (Jessica Vecchione, pictured capturing the installation of a Bloomville septic system). Four short videos were also produced on the septic, economic development and education programs, as well as the reservoir boating program. All five videos can be viewed on YouTube and on the CWC’s redesigned website, which was also unveiled at the Annual Meeting.

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