Hudson River Watershed Management and Issues: A Watershed Dinner Story

Transcription

1 Hudson River Watershed Management and Issues: A Watershed Dinner Story Westchester Water Works Conference October 7, 2013

2 Outline Quick Estuary Program Overview Watershed Observations and Characterization Watershed management strategies

3 Hudson River Estuary Program Conserving the Hudson River and its watershed for all its residents

4 1. Protecting fish, wildlife & habitats The Estuary is crucial habitat for many species, such as sturgeon.

5 2. Providing river access for all:

6 3. Adapting to Climate Change Threads through all our work Sea level is rising Winter temps up 5 degrees (F) Water levels at Manhattan are up 15 inches in the last 150 years

7 Waterfronts are flooding Kingston in 2005

8 4. Conserving Renowned Scenery ur forests, wetlands, mountains & streams are part of this scenic beauty

9 5. Ensuring Clean Water

10 What is a Watershed? *Typically <1% is actually water The land and water that drain to a common outlet.

11 HR Watershed Entire watershed ~13,500 mi2 Lower Hudson (below Troy) ~ 5,300 square miles ~ 8,860 miles of mapped streams ~ 65 named direct tribs ~ 1,400 lakes/ponds ~ 324 significant lakes/ponds

12 Estuary-tributary connections Spring Winter Summer Important coastal habitat Hydrology freshwater Nutrients (e.g., carbon) Pollutants

13 Its also about us

14 Characterizing the Hudson Estuary Watershed: Observations Infrastructure Quality And some anecdotes

15 Very Nice Streams and Watersheds We need to map and highlight healthy waters.

16 But, watersheds are changing Encroaching on streams removing vegetation

17 Disturbing and Paving over the watershed Interrupting hydrologic cycle Roads and parking lots account for a high % of total imperv surface

18 Impervious Surface by County

19 Stormwater & Nonpoint Source Pollution No systematic inventory but everywhere. Quassaick Watershed - over 100 inventoried ponds. Doesn t include older developments.

20 Effects of Impervious Surface on Stream Stability and Health <10% Stable Protected 25-30% Impervious surface increases Unstable Water velocity increases Non-supporting Erosion sediment, and nutrient loading

21 Aging Water Infrastructure Wallkill R., New Paltz, stormwater overloads wastewater collection system We are still relying on these pipes in many places

22 Leaky Collection Systems and Sewage Spills Sewage Right to Know Law spills May through Oct - 84MG - Causes weather, blockages, and insufficient capacity Newburgh, Quassaick Creek 2012 Troy, Wynants Kill, 2013

23 CSOs on the Hudson Albany Pool - Albany, Rensselaer, Troy, East Greenbush, Bethlehem, & Watervliet: 92 outfalls Hudson: 10 outfalls Catskill: 6 outfalls Kingston: 7 outfalls Poughkeepsie: 6 outfalls Newburgh: 12 outfalls Yonkers: 26 outfalls

24 Wastewater Plants 373 plants 77 needing significant improvements (NYSEFC Intended Use Plan)

25 Dams DEC regulated Almost 2,000 known dams Unknown dams everywhere Woodbury Creek (Moodna watershed) 3 dams per stream mile

26 Aging Dams Median date built Design life often 50 years

27 Irene Affected Dams Over 30 dams affected

28 Bridges and Culverts Transportation infrastructure, but we should think of them as water infrastructure as well. Vulnerable areas of human/nature conflict

29 After A Big Storm

30 Road Closures and Damage from TS Irene/Lee

31 River Gages Approximately 25 gages in the HV set new flood state records during TS Irene

32 Damaging the Natural Infrastructure that Protects Water Wetlands, forests, and floodplain - Free - Effective - Sustainable

33 Signficant Disturbance to Small Streams We treat them as ditches

34 Water Supplies in the Hudson Valley

35 Community Water Systems in the Hudson River Estuary Watershed ~2M people served by 700 community public water supply systems in the Hudson River estuary watershed (Non-NYC System) Surface water 131 public systems serving 82% of the population Groundwater 569 public systems serving 18% of the population

36 Water supply watersheds are threatened

37 Boil Water Notices: Irene/Lee ~450,000 customers affected Average notice lasted for 11 days

38 Boil Water Notices During Irene Research Weak, exposed points in the distribution system played the primary role in whether a BWN was issued E.g., pipes breaking at on bridges More forested the water district and distribution area = higher vulnerability More prior violations (2009) = less vulnerable Maintenance helped?

39 DEC Measures Change in Streams in Two ways Human-based best use or classification Whether it meets CWA fishable/swimmable goals Biological condition based on stream critters VS.

40 Human Based Best Use ~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 Atmos. deposit. and urban/suburban runoff Streams being listed as impaired outpaces those being restored

41 Current Status of Water Quality based on Stream Invertebrates (biomonitoring)

42 Biomonitoring Results and Trends

43 Riverkeeper s Citizen Science Water Quality Study 155 testing sites (+ exploratory) Monthly testing: May Nov Enterococcus ( Entero ): a fecal contamination indicator 74 Hudson River sites 81 Tributary sites Sparkill Creek Pocantico River Wallkill River Rondout Creek Esopus Creek Catskill Creek

44 Two Terms That I think Describe our Trends Urban Stream Syndrome describes the consistently observed ecological degradation of streams draining urban land. Migration to Mediocracy Converging of high and low quality streams to a mediocre state.

45 As Watershed Leaders. Some Strategies You Should Advocate to Minimize Impacts to Water Resources

46 First and Foremost! Take a Watershed Approach

47 Create Partnerships

48 1. Ensure Downstream Needs Have an environmental release/flow policy

49 2. Maximize Green Infrastructure: Minimize Impervious Surfaces Infiltrate stormwater Don t lose it to runoff. Capture as groundwater for future needs

50 3. Protect and Restore Streamsides

51 4. Identify and Replace Undersized Stream Crossings and Remove Derelict Dams

52 4. Manage Road Ditches and Runoff Better They are sediment conduits

53 5. Institute Comprehensive Raw Water Quality Monitoring Prog. Wadable Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators (WAVE)

54 6. Advocate for Improvements to Wastewater Infrastructure

55 7. Stay away from streams and out of Floodplains!

56 8. Protect Remaining Wetlands and Priority Forests

57 9. Adopt Local Water Strategies

58 Scott Cuppett Hudson River Estuary Program NYS Dept of Env. Conservation Tel. 845/