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Schoharie Watershed Program
A program of Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District |
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Schoharie Watershed Bus Tour |
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Please use the links provided to access information on the SWP, its projects, and watershed issues |
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PO Box 996, 6049 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485 Phone 518-589-6871 Fax 518-589-6874 |
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GCSWCD Main Office 907 County Office Building Cairo, NY 12413 Phone 518.622.3620 Fax 518.622.0344
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Overview
The Schoharie Watershed Tour is an annual event held in June, the goal of which is to show participants the variety of possibilities to protect water quality while at the same time serving as a catalyst for local communities, agencies and watershed stakeholders to identify and implement opportunities in their communities.
The 2010 watershed bus tour highlighted the impacts of acid rain and climate change in the Schoharie basin. The tour showcased the Hunter Landfill wetland and wind turbine to illustrate the benefits of constructed wetlands and the connections between renewable energy and water quality.
This event is a continuation in a series of public forums designed to bring local decision-makers and property owners together with regulatory agencies to learn about water quality for the protection of Schoharie basin waterways. |
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Background
The first Water Quality Summit in January 2007 was well received with nearly 120 people in attendance. Since then, the GCSWCD Watershed Assistance Program in conjunction with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection has sponsored the annual event which continues to grow each year. The Summits impart educational information about the status of water quality in the Schoharie Watershed, the natural and human factors that affect our streams, and the various management programs that address water quality problems. Given the popularity of the Summits, local officials suggested a complimentary event in the summer which would show actual projects in action. Responding to those requests, the GCSWCD and DEP began hosting watershed tours in 2007. The Water Quality Summits and Tours are an ideal forum to facilitate communication and information sharing across the watershed’s 11 municipalities, three counties, and the many agencies that work in the basin. |
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2010 Watershed Tour Handouts, Presentations, & Photos
Click Here for a printable schedule & announcement
Click Here for the 2010 Watershed Tour Handout (1.3 Mb pdf)
Click Here to view photos from the morning information session
Click Here to view photos from the wetland and wind turbine tour
Click Here to view Gary Lovett’s Global Problems, Local Impacts presentation (2.7 Mb pdf) To contact Gary Lovett with any questions: Gary M. Lovett Senior Scientist Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Phone: 845-677-7600 x132 Email: LovettG@caryinstitute.org (preferred) |
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The 2008 Watershed Tour highlighted the impacts of Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant species in the Schoharie basin. |
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Can’t find the page/information you’re looking for? See Sitemap |
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Joel DuBois, GCSWCD Conservation Program Specialist, discusses the Farber Farm stream restoration project at the 2009 Watershed Tour. |
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Nathan Hellinga, GCSWCD Conservation Program Technician, presents the water quality benefits of utilizing permeable paving materials at the 2009 Watershed Tour at Sugar Maples. |
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2010 Watershed Tour Schedule
Click Here for a printable schedule & announcement
Click Here for the 2010 Watershed Tour Handout (1.3 Mb pdf)
The Hunter Landfill Wetlands and small-scale wind turbine system illustrated the benefits of constructed wetlands and the connections between renewable energy and water quality. Rene' VanSchaack, Community Natural Resource Solutions, lead the tour highlighting the functions of the wetlands treatment complex at the Hunter Landfill and the innovative wind turbine installed at the site to power the wetlands system.
Morning Program & Tour: 9 a.m.—11:45 a.m.
S Global Problems, Local Impacts— Gary Lovett, Forest Ecologist with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, has studied Catskill forests for 25 years. He discussed how three environmental problems—acid rain, climate change, and the invasion of forest insect pests—may impact our lives in the Catskills in the coming years. Dr. Lovett gave an overview of all three problems, discussed how they are inter-related, and gave examples from our local forests and streams. Click Here to view Gary Lovett’s presentation (2.7 Mb pdf)
S Town of Hunter Smart Growth Communities Task Force – everyone can make a difference minimizing their carbon footprint. Learn about the Town of Hunter's experience participating in the Department of Environmental Conservation's Climate Change program and what communities can do at the municipal scale to make a difference in their own backyard.
S Combining Resources for Water Quality Protection and Energy Savings – an introduction to the Hunter Landfill Wetland & Wind Turbine site tour by Rene' VanSchaack, landfill site manager.
S Tour of Hunter Landfill Wetlands & Wind Turbine (10:45 am—11:45 a.m.). Return to school by Noon. |
