Improving Water Quality

Today and Tomorrow

Dan ShapleyWater Quality Program Manager

Future of the Wallkill RiverApril 23, 2015

Improving Water Quality

• Riverkeeper’s Role

• Community Water Quality Monitoring Results

• What We Can Do

155 miles

74 sample sites

Thousands of samples taken since 2008

Dr. Andrew Juhl

Dr. Gregory O’Mullan

Hudson River Estuary Water Quality Monitoring

(2008-2014)

Tributaries Often Are More Contaminated

• Ashokan Center

• Catskill Creek Watershed Awareness Project

• Gardiner Environmental Conservation Commission

• Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership

• Montgomery Conservation Advisory Council

• New York City Water Trail Association

• Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance

• Rochester Environmental Conservation Commission

• Rosendale Commission for Conservation of the Environment

• Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance

• Wawarsing Environmental Conservation Commission

… and dozens of individuals

Community Partners

Community Science Projects

Catskill Creek

Esopus Creek

Rondout Creek

Wallkill River

Pocantico River

Sparkill Creek

Quassaick Creek

NYC Area

Percentage of samples above EPA-recommended Beach Action Value, based on single-sample counts of fecal-indicating bacteria

Frequency of Contamination Varies

from Tributary to Tributary

Percentage of samples above EPA-recommended Beach Action Value, based on single-sample counts of fecal-indicating bacteria

Frequency of Contamination Varies

from Tributary to Tributary

National W

ildlife

Refu

ge

Pellets

Isla

nd

Gosh

en

Gosh

en

Wallk

ill (T

)

Wallk

ill (T

)

Montg

omery

Montg

omery

Montg

omery

County L

ine

Gale

ville

Gard

iner

New Paltz

New Paltz

Tillson

Above S

turg

eon Pool

Below S

turg

eon Pool

Rondout Cre

ek

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Magnitude of contamination

Geometric mean (GM) is a weighted average of 17-19 Enterococcus samples per sample site.

Entero count (GM)

National W

ildlife

Refu

ge

Pellets

Isla

nd

Gosh

en

Gosh

en

Wallk

ill (T

)

Wallk

ill (T

)

Montg

omery

Montg

omery

Montg

omery

County L

ine

Gale

ville

Gard

iner

New Paltz

New Paltz

Tillson

Above S

turg

eon Pool

Below S

turg

eon Pool

Rondout Cre

ek

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

EPA Cri-teria

Wallkill River Exceeds EPA Swimming Criteria

Entero count(GM)

National W

ildlife

Refu

ge

Pellets

Isla

nd

Gosh

en

Gosh

en

Wallk

ill (T

)

Wallk

ill (T

)

Montg

omery

Montg

omery

Montg

omery

County L

ine

Gale

ville

Gard

iner

New Paltz

New Paltz

Tillson

Above S

turg

eon Pool

Below S

turg

eon Pool

Rondout Cre

ek

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Water Quality Enters Each County “Better”

Entero count(GM)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

Dry GM Wet GM

Rain Dramatically Increases Contamination

Entero count(GM)

Wallkill River Watershed: All Samples (377)

What We Can Do

Wallkill River Watershed Group

Be the Voice for the River

Be a Partner for elected officials, agencies like the DEC, and organizations like Riverkeeper

Update Management Plan

Take Action

Your Task Tonight

A. Identify Current Challenges

B. Express Your Vision

C. Identify Actions to Get from A to B

Breakout Sessions

Topic Room

Drinking Water 418

Farming 407

Fish, Wildlife & Habitat 62

Land Use 401/405

Recreation 63

Themes: Water Quality and Flooding