News > Events > Riverkeeper Events > Lower Esopus Community Forum and Workshop

Lower Esopus Community Forum and Workshop

Esopus_turbidity_732x250-450x153
View more images on our Flickr site
When:
July 14, 2014: 7:00PM to 8:30PM
Where:
Saugerties Senior Citizens Center, 207 Market Street (Corner of Robinson Street), Saugerties, NY map

The public is invited to attend a Community Forum and Workshop on actions that citizens can take to ensure that there is a full study of the impacts of discharging turbid (muddy) water to the Lower Esopus Creek from the Ashokan Reservoir.

The event is titled “Lower Esopus Community Forum and Workshop: How Citizens Can Take Action to Ensure a Full Environmental Review of Ashokan Reservoir Turbid Water Discharges into the Lower Esopus Creek.” Riverkeeper Watershed Program Director Kate Hudson and Saugerties Lighthouse Keeper Patrick Landewe will make presentations.

New York State is initiating the first-ever study of the environmental impacts of New York City’s discharges of muddy water from the Ashokan Reservoir to the Lower Esopus Creek. The public has a limited amount of time to express concerns about the scope of this study as part of a formal public comment period. The scope of the study must include an analysis of alternatives for addressing turbidity in the city’s Catskill water supply system.

The Lower Esopus Creek has received turbid discharges from the Ashokan Reservoir on occasion since 2010, with negative impacts to habitats, fishing, recreational uses, farming, waterfront businesses, property and the enjoyment of the Lower Esopus Creek. The Lower Esopus Creek flows through the towns of Marbletown, Hurley and Ulster, the City of Kingston, and the Town and Village of Saugerties, before meeting the Hudson River.

The Forum will provide the public with information about the creek’s history and ecology, the impacts of muddy discharges, and how people can voice their concerns in a meaningful way as part of the DEC’s public process. The Workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity to draft letters that must be considered by the DEC as it defines the scope of the environmental impact study.

The event is sponsored by the Town and Village of Saugerties, Hudson Riverkeeper, Esopus Creek Conservancy, and the Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership.

Tell Gov. Hochul to block invasive species at the Erie and Champlain canals
Become a Member