Schoharie Watershed Summits

View the 2012 Schoharie Watershed Summit Handout
Recovery and Rebuilding in the Wake of Irene

The Schoharie Watershed Summits involve collaborative workshops targeted towards property owners, local decision-makers & watershed agencies across 11 municipalities and 3 counties in the northeastern Catskill Mountains.

The Schoharie Watershed Summits provide many opportunities for networking and information sharing.

Brief History of Schoharie Watershed Summits

Over 110 local officials, property owners and agency personnel attended the first Watershed Summit presented by the Schoharie Watershed Assistance Program in 2007. The turnout was indicative of the interest local and regional stakeholders have in learning about the status of water quality in the Schoharie basin, the different programs that are available to support local communities and landowners, and how we can learn from one another that protecting water quality is as much a local benefit as it is for NYC's drinking water supply.

The Summits continue to grow in popularity and scope since the first one six years ago.  Last year, presentations addressed floodplain management, better site design, and low impact development.

Tom Blanchard, Floodplain Coordinator for NYSDEC, presents on floodplain management, what planners and property owners need to know at the 2011 Summit..Underscoring that we all have a stake in protecting water quality and our communities, the Summits are a forum to bring diverse interests together to learn from one another, to network, and to understand each others' roles in this living watershed. The Summits are great networking and training opportunities for local officials, planners, engineering firms, watershed managers, regulators, and property owners. Training workshops count toward municipal credits for planning and zoning boards.

Previous Watershed Summits

2011 Watershed Summit - January 22, 2011

2011 Summit keynote speaker Don Lake discusses floodplain functions, the effects of development pressure, and Green Infrastructure practices.Overview:

2011 Summit Handout

The 5th Annual Water Quality Summit: In the Wake of the Flood highlighted tools and incentives to help communities think about proactive floodplain management, stormwater runoff mitigation, reducing flood damage, and successful flood response. The Summit also placed emphasis on incorporating low impact development techniques and thorough site review during the planning process. Additionally, theSummit reviewed the past five years of water quality initiatives in the The Catskill Watershed Corporation's Nate Hendricks discusses funding resources during the afternoon break-out sessions at the 2011 Summit.Schoharie basin and provided program and funding resource information for watershed communities.

Presentations & Educational materials:

People in Balance with Nature: Linking Floodplains, Stormwater & Green Infrastructure
Keynote presentation: Don Lake, P.E., Certified Professional in Erosion & Sediment Control
Part 1 (1.8 Mb pdf)
Part 2 (1.3 Mb pdf)
Part 3 (1.8 Mb pdf)

Five Years In Review
Presentation (1.2 Mb pdf)
Michelle Yost, GCSWCD Watershed Assistance Program

What to Do After the Flood: Floodplain Administrators' and Community Officials' Guide to Surviving the Flood
Tom Blanchard, NYSDEC
Part 1 (1.2 Mb pdf)
Part 2 (600 Kb pdf)
Part 3 (1.7 Mb pdf)

Protecting New York's Natural Resources through the Phase II SPDES Program
Kathy Czajkowski, NYSDEC
Part 1 (5.4 Mb pdf)
Part 2 (3.7 Mb pdf)
Part 3 (2.8 Mb pdf)

NYC Watershed Funding Resources Summary Sheet

2010 Watershed Summit - January 23, 2010

Overview:

2010 Watershed Summit attendees were treated to a lunchtime speech by NYS Assemblyman Peter Lopez2010 Summit Handout

The 2010 Summit provided tools and incentives to help communities think about different design concepts. Expanding on the Low Impact Development theme, the 2010 event focused on incorporating creative options in site planning to produce multiple benefits for your community and to satisfy regulations. Protecting our local communities from flood concerns, water quality pollution, and expensive stormwater costs starts with a detailed site plan review early in the process.

2009 Watershed Summit - January 24, 2009

Overview:

2009 Summit Handout | 2009 Attendee List

Like all Summits, the 2009 Watershed Summit provided many learning and networking opportunities.A number of informative presentations were offered during the 2009 Watershed Summit including topics on:

Low-Impact Development, an alternative approach to site planning, design and building that minimizes landscape impacts & preserves the natural hydrologic cycle. Handout (6 Mb pdf)
Keynote: Scott Horsley, President, Horsley Witten Group

Schoharie Watershed Advisory Committee: Integrating watershed Carrie Miles, GCSWCD Technician, in front of the WAP program display she put together for the 2009 Summit.protection through local leadership. Attendees learned about Stream and Watershed Management in the Catskills (9 Mb pdf) and how the Stream Management Program (1.6 Mb pdf) is working to achieve multiple objectives.
Jeff Flack and Joel DuBois, GCSWCD

An update on priority recommendations from the Mountaintop Community Resource and Recreation Strategy (2.6 Mb pdf) – a project the WAP has been facilitating for a year that integrates public, private and business sectors on the Mountaintop to enhance tourism potential by improving marketing, event coordination, and outdoor resource activities. Presentation (7 Mb pdf)
Michelle Yost, GCSWCD WAP

Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership: A cooperative partnership of diverse stakeholders with an interest in invasive species management in the Catskill & Delaware region. Ben Murdock of the Catskill Center for Conservation & Development spoke on this unique collaboration involving many agencies and what invasive species are a concern in this watershed. Presentation (5 Mb pdf)
Ben Murdock, Catskill Center for Conservation & Development

2008 Watershed Summit - January 19, 2008

Overview:

2008 Summit Handout | 2008 Attendee List

Approximately 130 municipal leaders, property owners, engineers, planners, and government officials participated in the 2nd annual Schoharie Watershed Summit, including an appearance from Assemblyman Peter Lopez. The day’s activities included updates on the Schoharie Turbidity Reduction Strategy, presentations from watershed agencies and county officials who specialize in stream management, and afternoon workshops for local planners, residents and engineering firms working in the basin. The afternoon planning workshops counted towards the yearly training requirement for planning and zoning board members.

Presentations & Educational Materials:

Overview of Project, Process, and Recommendations
Schoharie Watershed Turbidity Reduction Strategy Overview & Findings Presentation (10.9 Mb pdf)
M. Yost

New Funding to Support Local Initiatives
Schoharie Basin Stream Management Plan Implementation, The Next Stage (1.35 Mb pdf)
David Burns

Where Infrastructure & Streams Collide: How to Manage Both Responsibly
Presentation (18.2 Mb pdf)
Wayne Reynolds, Delaware County Highway Commissioner

Where Infrastructure & Streams Collide: Where the Water Meets the Road
Presentation (9 Mb pdf)
Joel DuBois, GCSWCD Stream Specialist

Afternoon Educational Training Sessions
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans & Regulations Presentation (1.4 Mb pdf)
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Federal Wetland Protection & Regulation: USEPA Presentation (1.4 Mb pdf)

FEMA Flood Maps: What Every Planner Needs To Know

• Power point presentation by William Nechamen (5.1 Mb pdf)
• Flood Insurance & Grandfathering Rules (2.15 Mb pdf)
• National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Frequently Asked Questions Pertaining to Construction Standards
• Frequently Asked Questions on NFIP

SEQRA & Subdivisions: A Hands-On Exercise Presentation

Schoharie Turbidity Reduction Strategy (2.8 Mb pdf)

Executive Summary to Turbidity Reduction Strategy

2007 Watershed Summit - January 27, 2007

Overview:

2007 Summit Handout

Approximately 120 people were in attendance at the 1st annual Watershed Summit including municipal officials and employees from 12 of the 13 municipalities in the basin, county legislators and department directors, interested property owners, representatives from engineering firms, and non-profit and government agencies.  The 2007 event focused on turbidity issues in the Schoharie Watershed.