Located in the Town of Lexington, the West Kill Stream has a reputation as a productive wild trout fisheries. The West Kill has benefited from cold, groundwater contributions and a fairly good riparian zone which shades the stream. The West Kills fishery was a favorite spot of noted angler and author Art Flick, who made it the subject of his writings. The Westkill Valley also has a long history of damaging floods. From a flood event in 1927 which wiped out every bridge in Spruceton valley, to more recent events in 1996 & 99 which resulted in significant instability in the stream corridor and over 5 million dollars in damages to public infrastructure.

The Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District (GCSWCD) is assuming the lead on the organization of a collaborative effort between the landowners and local governments to assess the current condition of the West Kill, evaluate predicted instability and impacts, develop a long range management plan and facilitate restoration projects. The project will integrate local, state & federal programs, as well as the best in stream science. The GCSWCD proposes to undertake a multi-objective, watershed based approach to the problem, which will place equal emphasis on long term management and immediate restoration needs. The GCSWCD envisions a project that is very strong in both implementation and landowner involvement.