Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District

Stream Management Program

Stony Clove Creek

Stream Management Project

A cooperative project of Greene & Ulster County SWCD's, NYCDEP Stream Management Program and Watershed Stakeholders

Site Directory

Since 1995, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Stream Management Program has made a commitment  to provide technical and financial assistance to communities for stream management planning and implementation. Working with the local  Soil & Water Conservation Districts, as well as watershed stakeholders, the NYCDEP has promoted the use of watershed level stream assessments to develop stream restoration and protection strategies.

The Stony Clove Creek is located in the center of the Catskill region.  Ringed by Sheridan, Little Rocky, Tremper, Carl, Olderbark, Plateau, Hunter and Westkill mountains, the Stony Clove Creek  is typical of  mountain streams.  These stream often experience problems with flooding, water quality, recreation and human activities. Steep slopes, poorly drained soils, glacial geology and rainfall patterns are but a few of the factors which impact the Stony Clove.

In the next few  years, the NYCDEP and the GCSWCD will be working to address stream problems in the Stony Clove. An advisory team comprised of diverse watershed stakeholders including agencies, municipalities, private business and most importantly watershed landowners will assist in the development of a stream management plan.

During the course of the project, the NYCDEP and GCSWCD will use detailed assessments of watershed and stream stability conditions on the Stony Clove, in conjunction with information provided by watershed stakeholders to  develop the stream management plan.

This project will use a geomorphology based classification and assessment of the stream. The NYCDEP and GCSWCD are committed to strong landowner involvement in the planning process and believe the success of implementation of the management plan is tied to stakeholder commitment to the plan.   

Stream Management Plan

Lanesville Demonstration Project

To facilitate the Stony Clove Stream Management Project, the NYCDEP and the GCSWCD have entered into a three year contract (2000 to  2003) for coordination and technical services. As set forth in the contract, the project has the following four primary goals;

Goal 1:  To produce a practical plan for residents, local and state agencies, and other interested organizations, to aid in managing the resources in the Stony Clove Creek basin while achieving the objectives defined by these groups.

Goal 2:  To apply the fluvial geomorphic approach to address channel stability simultaneously with water quality, habitat, flood hazard and aesthetic concerns.

Goal 3:  To support and enhance ongoing and new education programs to increase the understanding of and appreciation for water resources management and the value of multiple objective stream management plans.

Goal 4:  To provide for construction of a natural channel stability demonstration project, to provide guidance for future stream management.

These goals are broad enough to provide flexibility in the development of the project and they reaffirm a commitment to undertake the planning and implementation in a very public process.

The Stony Clove Creek

Watershed

Stream Length

10.2 miles

Tributaries Length

51.7 miles

Watershed Area

32.3 square miles

(20,652 acres)

See Large Map of Stony Clove Watershed

The Stony Clove Creek watershed is located in the central Catskill Mountain region of southeast New York State.  The Stony Clove Creek flows from its headwaters at Notch Lake to its confluence with the Esopus Creek in the village of Phoenicia. Approximately 80% of the watershed falls within the Greene County towns of Hunter and Shandaken, while the remaining 20% is in the Ulster County towns of Shandaken and Woodstock.