By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-996799.mp3
Kingston, NY – New York State and Ulster County officials toured the Ashokan watershed by bus Friday : The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program hosted the visit to post-flood response sites and flood mitigation projects. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District and New York City DEP are partners in the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program. Cory Ritz works as a stream project manager for the Soil and Water Conservation District - he explained the bus tour was an opportunity to show the response to Hurricane Irene. The bus stopped at several sites: Danny Davis, a geologist and project manager for the New York City DEP's Stream Management Program, pointed out that each stop on the tour was picked to help illustrate certain goals.
Elizabeth Higgins is program coordinator with the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program - she says one of area concern has been the Brown Road Project in Big Indian Valley where the Esopus Creek has meandered into different channels during various flood events - threatening private homes that are nestled in the nearby flood plain - it's been moved back but a permanent fix is needed. Another site involved a bank stabilization project along Woodland Valley Creek that protects Woodland Valley Road and saved the Town of Shandaken from a disastrous road washout.
Assistant Commissioner with New York City's Department of Environmental Protection David Warne says the bus tour highlighted the complexity of protecting streams in the city's Watershed Region. The team has committed to continue to work on various projects designed to assist flood-prone communities avoid major disruptions from storms. All the water bodies visited on Friday's tour flow into the Esopus Creek, which in turn flows into the Ashokan Reservoir.