Watershed Planning Basics

Transcription

1 1 Watershed Planning Basics Emily Vail Hudson River Estuary Program, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation NYS Water Resources Institute at Cornell University May 19, 2016

2 2 Presentation Outline Hudson River Estuary Program Regional watershed issues Why watershed planning? What does a watershed plan look like? What are the key steps? Case Studies: Quassaick Creek & Wappinger Creek What can you do next?

3 3 Hudson River Estuary Program Six Benefits: Clean water Resilient communities Vital estuary ecosystem Estuary fish, wildlife, and their habitats Scenic river landscape Education, river access, recreation, and inspiration

4 Albany Catskill Creek Hudson River Estuary Watershed Hudson River Estuary watershed = 5,300 mi 2 4 Catskill Creek watershed = 415 mi 2 (3 rd largest sub-watershed) New York City

5 5 What is a watershed? The land area that drains to a common body of water Geographic feature Includes political, and social boundaries Scalable Map courtesy of Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District

6 6 What is a watershed? The land area that drains to a common body of water Geographic feature Includes political, and social boundaries Scalable Map courtesy of Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District

7 Watershed Assessments and Plans 7 Map courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County

8 8 Why watershed planning? Protect healthy streams Restore impaired waters Drinking water, swimming, fishing, recreation, wildlife, scenery, flooding Photo by Larry Federman

9 9 Watershed issues Water Quality Sediment Nutrients Heavy metals Road salt Sewage Pesticides Oil and grease Trash Photo by Liz LoGiudice

10 10 Watershed issues Water Quantity Flooding Erosion Droughts Low base flow in streams Photos by Liz LoGiudice

11 11 Watershed issues Habitat Aquatic connectivity Terrestrial connectivity Invasive species

12 12 Watershed issues Trends Development Climate change Watershed resiliency Hurricane Irene - Photos by Liz LoGiudice

13 13 Why watershed planning? Brings together stakeholders (including municipalities) Consolidates information Unified approach, communities work together across the watershed Creates a shared vision, builds consensus Identifies strategies & projects Helps justify grants and other funding Photo by Liz LoGiudice

14 14 Types of watershed plans Total Maximum Daily Load TMDL/303(d) list Reduce loads of a pollutant in impaired watersheds Example: Chesapeake Bay EPA 9 element watershed plan Similar to TMDL, but more of a planning process Example: Genesee River

15 15 Types of watershed plans DOS watershed plan Example: Quassaick Creek Can focus on particular subwatershed or issue Example: Lower Esopus Creek River Reconnaissance Report Geomorphic assessment, flooding Map from Lower Esopus Creek River Reconnaissance Report Appendix

16 16 At the end of the planning process Group of stakeholders on board to work on issues/priorities Maps and other representations of existing information Understand information gaps Prioritized, specific, and strategic actions to improve watershed health

17 17 Priorities from Catskill Creek Summit (10/15/15) Opportunities: Recreation Education Tourism Habitat protection Planning, zoning, comprehensive plans Challenges: Flooding, erosion, sedimentation Education Protecting habitat Infrastructure

18 18 What are the key steps? Delineate a watershed (appropriate scale) Bring together stakeholders Compile existing data Prioritize issues Create goals Specify actions Implement the plan! Measure progress and adapt if necessary

19 19 Delineate a watershed Catskill Creek watershed ~40 miles long, 415 mi 2 watershed 16 municipalities 4 counties USGS watershed delineations DEC waterbody segments Map courtesy Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District

20 20 Bring together stakeholders Municipalities Government agencies Academic institutions Non-profits City and regional planners Community groups Property-owners Businesses Developers Photo from Hudson River Watershed Alliance

21 21 Compile existing data Physical characteristics Water quality Water quantity Land use/land cover Habitat Water infrastructure Demographics & other social data Local laws Previous plans People are important resources, too!

22 22 Identify gaps & prioritize issues What additional information is needed? Can use planning process to conduct studies or have a priority project in the plan to address the needs Are there priority locations or issues to focus on? Photo by Liz LoGiudice

23 23 Specify actions to improve conditions Watershed vision -> more specific goals -> objectives Each project should have specific location, partners and (ideally) funding source identified Implement the plan!

24 24 Measure progress and adapt What are you measuring? (indicators) How do you know if conditions are improving? Adaptive management Photo by Liz LoGiudice

25 25 Warning! Don t discount stakeholders Don t be overly general Don t take on too much, too quickly Don t keep the plan on the shelf Don t spend all your energy on planning

26 26 Don t wait for a plan! Trees for Tribs Culvert Project Implement green infrastructure Natural Resource Inventories Climate Smart Communities Water quality assessments with WAVE Community clean ups Trees for Tribs at Bayard Elsbree Park

27 27 Quassaick Creek Case Study 56 mi 2 2 counties and 5 munis Funding - DOS, Orange County Water Authority Watershed Management Plan 54 recommendations 10 priority actions 2 year process ( )

28 28 Quassaick Creek Case Study Quassaick Creek Watershed Management Recommendations

29 29 What can we learn from the Quassaick? High-capacity advisory committee Municipalities participated, planning depts from both counties Leveraged funds to fill gaps Plan is specific Plan is being implemented Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance continued their work

30 30 Wappinger Creek Case Study 210 mi 2 Dutchess County 12 municipalities Rural, suburban, & urban land use The headwaters of the Creek at Thompson Pond, Pine Plains, NY The mouth of the Creek at the New Hamburg Train Station DUTCHESS COUNTY

31 31 Wappinger Lake NYS 303d list of impaired waterbodies TMDL = Total Maximum Daily Load Wappinger Lake

32 Wappinger Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council Began as Wappinger Creek Watershed Planning Committee (1995) Natural Resource Mgmt Plan ( ) Water quality study: (Summer 97 Spring 2000) Community Leadership Alliance Participants of the CLA Meeting May 1999 (May 1999) Formed Intermunicipal Council (first meeting 1/2001, signed IMA 6/2004) 32

33 Structure Council Membership 2 representatives per member municipality (Supervisor/Mayor & other) One vote per member municipality (13) Ex-officio & Volunteer members(non-voting) CCEDC, DCSWCD, County Planning, HREP, etc Meets Quarterly Working Group Advisory & Volunteer Committee Meets monthly Bylaws Establish a chair, vice-chair & secretary Goals Tree for Tribs Planting at Greenvale Park, Poughkeepsie, NY 33 Recognition by Senator Gipson and Assemblywoman Barrett

34 Accomplishments Better Site Design Roundtables Stakeholder Survey of municipal leaders and residents with Cornell University faculty on beliefs, perceptions and practices related to water quality Wappinger Creek Week & Watershed Awareness Month Outreach materials, publications & presentations Monitoring Study of stream temperature in tributaries Designation of Inland Waterway Shared Service Grants DOS Local Waterfront Revitalization Grant Educating residents at the Picnic in the Park celebration 34 Monitoring in Hunns Lake Creek

35 35 Resources Hudson River Estuary Program Grants and technical assistance NYS Dept of State guidebook EPA Occasional grants, resources Hudson River Watershed Alliance - Examples of watershed plans Center for Watershed Protection - Resources on planning

36 36 What you can do What is your goal? Review existing watershed plans Model to replicate? Lessons learned? Who should be at the table? What issues are most important in your watershed? What data are available? Where are there existing plans? Where are there gaps?

37 37 In summary Watershed planning brings people together, helps come to consensus on strategic next steps to improve watershed health Depends on local priorities Grants & other resources available Photo by Jeff Anzevino

38 38 Thank You! Emily Vail Watershed Outreach Specialist Hudson River Estuary Program (845) Connect with us: Facebook: Twitter: twitter.com/nysdec Flickr: Carolyn Klocker Sr. Water Resource Educator Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County , ext. 135