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Andrew Meyer and
Emily Vail Hudson River Estuary Program
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation NYS Water Resources Institute at Cornell University
Hudson River Estuary Program Core Mission Ensure clean water
Protect and restore fish,
wildlife, and their habitats
Provide water recreation and river access
Adapt to climate change
Conserve world-famous scenery
Entire watershed ~ 13,500 sq. mi.
Hudson River Watershed
Estuary watershed ~5,300 sq. mi.
Outline The Hudson River watershed
How we’re connected
Who is collecting information about stream/river health in the Hudson watershed
What we can do in our watersheds
Green infrastructure
Impervious Surface
From USGS, 2006
Connecting the Watershed Dots
9/12/10
9/12/11
*Courtesy of TechEBlog.com *NASA
Hurricane Irene and
Tropical Storm Lee
Connecting the Watershed Dots
*Graphs from HRECOS and USGS
Albany, turbidity
Schodack Island, turbidity
Norrie Point, turbidity
Connecting the Watershed Dots
• Fire at the sewage treatment plant • 200 million gallons untreated wastewater
Sewage spill into the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, July 2011
Philip Orton, Seaandskyny.com
Communities that invest in clean water can produce direct water quality improvements. How’s the Water, 2010 Riverkeeper
We need to be looking for data to make this case and providing resources to localities—watershed wide.
Connecting the Watershed Dots
from EPA 2011, Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds
National Trends US EPA
Water quality monitoring
Water quality monitoring DEC Lower Hudson River basin, WI/PWL Report, 2008
based on “Best Use”
Stony Creek has Minor Impacts is Stressed from nutrient inputk
1973 to present 1197 samples at 436 sites
Stream Health Based on Macroinvertebrates Division of Water biomonitoring
Severe
Moderate
Slight
Non-impacted
Latest Stream Impact Rating (BAP )
Stream Health Based on Macroinvertebrates Division of Water biomonitoring 1973 to present 209 sites
Change in Water Quality in Hudson Valley
Decrease by 1
Increase by 1
Increase by 2
Same
The Climate Change Lens
• We need to create an adaptable and resilient watershed • Keep water on the land
Our Watersheds Join your watershed coalition
Collect water quality information
WAVE project
Riverkeeper’s projects
A lot of the issues have to do with
how we’re living on the landscape
Preserve farmland
Cluster development
Repair stream buffers
Manage stormwater
Reconnect streams to floodplains
Wadeable Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators WAVE
Alene Onion WAVE Coordinator Phone: 518 402 8166
email: amonion@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Hudson Estuary
Emily Vail
Hudson River Estuary Program NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Cornell University NYS Water Resources Institute
New York State Water Resources Institute
Managing Stormwater with Green Infrastructure
Managing Stormwater with Green Infrastructure
Impact of stormwater
Green infrastructure
Examples of practices
Benefits
What you can do
Most stream impairments in the region due to polluted runoff
Documented impacts for nearly 35% of waterbodies
Traditional stormwater management
Impervious surface -> storm sewer -> streams
Stormwater Carries Pollutants
Storm drain
Water quality problems Sediment
Nutrients
Road salt
Oil/grease
Trash
Water quantity problems Flooding
Erosion
Stormwater Carries Pollutants
Wet weather leads to overflows
Combined Sewer or Separated Sewer systems
Degrades water quality
Impacts public health, water recreation
Overflowing Sewage
Sanitary sewer overflows in Poughkeepsie
What is Green Infrastructure? Different approach to stormwater - natural and
engineered systems that mimic nature
• Manage runoff by maintaining or restoring natural hydrology
– Allows stormwater to infiltrate into the soil and be used by plants
Gray vs. Green Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure
Regional and local scales Includes “low impact
development” projects Provides multiple benefits
Slows the flow of runoff Removes pollutants Keeps water out of the storm
sewer system Increases vegetation
Lower Esopus Creek – vegetated buffer
Green Infrastructure Requirements
August 2010 - Updated New York State Stormwater Design Manual
Chapter 5 – Green Infrastructure
New development – reduce runoff first using green infrastructure
NYS Stormwater Design Manual
1. Planning
A. Preserving natural areas
B. Reducing impervious surface cover
2. Green infrastructure practices
Avoid stormwater
Reduce stormwater
Manage stormwater
Green Infrastructure Planning • Preserve natural areas – reduce disturbance, use
conservation design
• Reduce impervious cover
Traditional Subdivision Conservation Subdivision
Dutchess County Greenway Guide
Green Infrastructure Practices Natural features and engineered practices that
infiltrate runoff on-site Treat stormwater closer to where the rain falls
Several small practices instead of one large one
• Examples on HREP website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58930.html
Rain Gardens & Bioretention Areas Shallow depression of soil and plants, filters runoff and slows
its flow
Ulster County Dept. of the Environment, Kingston
Stanley Still Park, Poughkeepsie
Vegetated Swales Natural drainage paths or vegetated channels used to transport
water above ground
Subdivision, Pawling Village Hall, Greenwood Lake
Green Roofs Layers of soil and vegetation on rooftops that capture runoff
Marist College, Poughkeepsie Rensselaer County Master
Gardeners shed, Wynantskill
Porous Pavement Paved surfaces that allow stormwater to infiltrate
NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Staatsburg
Beacon Institute, Beacon
Sojourner Truth Ulster Landing County Park, Saugerties
Rain Barrels or Cisterns Capture and store rooftop runoff to re-use for watering plants
and other uses
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie
Greenburgh Nature Center, Westchester Forsyth Nature Center, Kingston
Stream Buffer Restoration Vegetation along streams improves stream health, filters/slows
polluted runoff, many other benefits
Falling Waters Preserve, Saugerties Whaley Lake Stream, Beekman
Other Green Infrastructure Practices Disconnecting rooftop runoff
Stormwater planters
Tree planting/street trees
Stream daylighting
Bus Shelter, Ardsley NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Staatsburg
Residential Green Infrastructure
Rain Barrel – Millerton
Pervious Pavers – Syracuse
Pervious Asphalt – Poughkeepsie
Commercial Green Infrastructure
Pervious Asphalt – Poughkeepsie Pervious Pavers
– Tillson
Bioretention – Middletown
Municipal Green Infrastructure
Rain Garden – Town of Ulster
Rain Garden/Pervious Pavers – Greenwood Lake
Rain Garden – Mount Pleasant Highway Garage
Benefits of Green Infrastructure
Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)
Recharge groundwater
Reduce CSOs
Cool urban areas – energy savings
Provide wildlife habitat
Improve air quality
Improve human health
Increase land values
Beautify neighborhoods
Implementing Green Infrastructure Homeowners, watershed
groups, neighborhoods, regional planners, businesses, and
Municipalities
Planning
Codes/ordinances to encourage, incentivize, or require
Demonstration sites
SUNY Orange, Middletown
Green Infrastructure to Mitigate CSOs
New York City Philadelphia, PA Syracuse, NY Portland, OR Seattle, WA Milwaukee, WI Kansas City, MO
* Cities highlighted in NRDC’s Rooftops to Rivers II
Green Infrastructure can save money New York City (over 20 years)
Overall cost:
Green - $5.3 billion
Gray - $6.8 billion
Cost per gallon of CSO reduced:
Green - ~$0.45
Gray - ~$0.62
…and provide many other benefits
Philadelphia (over 40 years)
Gray - $122.0 million in benefits
Green - $2,846.4 million in benefits
Save energy ($33.7 million)
Increase residential property values (> $1.1 billion)
Avoid 196 fatalities from heat stress
Create > 15,000 jobs for local laborers (avoided social services costs ~$125 million)
What can you do? Planning for GI
Incorporate into CSO Long Term Control Plans
Visit local GI practices
Build demo projects
Use resources offered by the Hudson River Estuary Program
Green Infrastructure Examples in the Hudson Valley
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58930.html
Albany
New York City
Review Local Codes and Ordinances • Codes and Ordinances
Worksheet for New York State
• Town of Wappinger and Town of Clinton case studies
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/42053.html
Participate in Trees for Tribs
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/43668.html
Andrew Meyer Shoreline Conservation Specialist
axmeyer@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Emily Vail Watershed Outreach Specialist
eevail@gw.dec.state.ny.us (845) 256-3145
Hudson River Estuary Program New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
In cooperation with Cornell University NYS Water Resources Institute
New York State Water Resources Institute
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