Before January 2011, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), kept the drinking water for city residents clear by treating the turbid water in the Kensico Reservoir (Located in Westchester County), with alum. Alum is the chemical aluminum sulfate. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), ordered the NYC DEP to limit the use of alum, because the “alum floc” (the settled matter) is too high (13’) at the bottom of the Kensico Reservoir.
For the past 18 months, the NYCDEP has continued to release the muddy water from the Ashokan Reservoir instead into the Lower Esopus, causing outrage to residents, businesses, and officials along the 35-mile stretch of water leading to the Hudson River in Saugerties. The issue has come to a head recently, beginning with a public hearing on a recently released NYS DEC Draft Consent Order at SUNY New Paltz on June 19th, at which Ulster County Executive Mike Hein stated, “Until the New York City DEP does the right thing…it is my belief that from this point forward, they should be referred to as the New York City Department of Environmental Pollution.”
On Thursday, June 28, 2012, the Saugerties Town Board unanimously voted on a resolution to oppose the DEC Draft Consent Order, and cited 13 reasons for their decision; including the environmental, economical, and recreational impacts caused by the surges of muddy water by the millions of gallons per day.
Many local residents, business owners and officials say that the turbidity is wreaking havoc along the lower Esopus. The Town of Saugerties resolution lists “ major habitat impairment in Esopus Estuary, unnatural temperature changes, decrease feeding efficiency of fish – fish can’t see food, and impact on feeding/foraging on (threatened birds),” as some of the effects on the habitat and Creek ecological health. Myers stated that silt covered fish eggs won’t hatch. The resolution also says that invasive species, such as the water chestnut, thrive off of the “organic matter carried by turbidity, septic run off, and increased water temperature.” Several septic systems along Esopus have failed as a result of the water surges. Myers explained that when septic systems near the Esopus are continually soaked, the leech fields begin to drain into the Esopus Creek, causing an increase in ecoli and other bacteria in the water. Recreation is hurt as well. The Saugerties Beach cannot open if the releases continue, because the regulations state “it shall be possible to see an eight-inch black and white disk at four feet of water…at a minimum of three different locations. The resolution also points out that the 600 million gallons per day that have been released has caused “erosion, riparian buffer failure, and stream bank failure.” The creek bed has changed so significantly that during low tides the U.S. Coast Guard located in Saugerties, cannot use their larger vessels, because the silt has settled and created a higher creek bed. But city officials state that the option is mud or flood, and that by releasing the water they actually decrease the risk of flooding to other areas along the lower Esopus Creek. “If DEP were to completely or effectively discontinue the use of the release channel today,” Paul Rush, NYC DEP Deputy Commissioner for Water Supply writes in a letter to the Editor (Watershed Post 1/15/12), “which has been running at 600 MGD, then inflow from the watershed would quickly fill up both basins of the reservoir and turbid water would be spilled into the lower Esopus from the East Basin spillway in the Town of Marbletown. This would provide significantly less flood protection and still send turbid water into the lower Esopus. Reacting to the “mud or flood” dilemma, Saugerties Town Board officials feel there are other options that haven’t been considered. “DEP asserts we have to choose between flood control and turbidity. At meetings of the ARWG we were told, ‘you can’t have it both ways.’ This unacceptable answer is a blatant refusal to work cooperatively to control flooding and control turbidity. DEP does have other options, but refuses to discuss them,” the resolution reads.
Before January 2011, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), kept the drinking water for city residents clear by treating the turbid water in the Kensico Reservoir (Located in Westchester County), with alum. Alum is the chemical aluminum sulfate. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), ordered the NYC DEP to limit the use of alum, because the “alum floc” (the settled matter) is too high (13’) at the bottom of the Kensico Reservoir.
For the past 18 months, the NYCDEP has continued to release the muddy water from the Ashokan Reservoir instead into the Lower Esopus, causing outrage to residents, businesses, and officials along the 35-mile stretch of water leading to the Hudson River in Saugerties. The issue has come to a head recently, beginning with a public hearing on a recently released NYS DEC Draft Consent Order at SUNY New Paltz on June 19th, at which Ulster County Executive Mike Hein stated, “Until the New York City DEP does the right thing…it is my belief that from this point forward, they should be referred to as the New York City Department of Environmental Pollution.”
On Thursday, June 28, 2012, the Saugerties Town Board unanimously voted on a resolution to oppose the DEC Draft Consent Order, and cited 13 reasons for their decision; including the environmental, economical, and recreational impacts caused by the surges of muddy water by the millions of gallons per day.
Many local residents, business owners and officials say that the turbidity is wreaking havoc along the lower Esopus. The Town of Saugerties resolution lists “ major habitat impairment in Esopus Estuary, unnatural temperature changes, decrease feeding efficiency of fish – fish can’t see food, and impact on feeding/foraging on (threatened birds),” as some of the effects on the habitat and Creek ecological health. Myers stated that silt covered fish eggs won’t hatch. The resolution also says that invasive species, such as the water chestnut, thrive off of the “organic matter carried by turbidity, septic run off, and increased water temperature.” Several septic systems along Esopus have failed as a result of the water surges. Myers explained that when septic systems near the Esopus are continually soaked, the leech fields begin to drain into the Esopus Creek, causing an increase in ecoli and other bacteria in the water. Recreation is hurt as well. The Saugerties Beach cannot open if the releases continue, because the regulations state “it shall be possible to see an eight-inch black and white disk at four feet of water…at a minimum of three different locations. The resolution also points out that the 600 million gallons per day that have been released has caused “erosion, riparian buffer failure, and stream bank failure.” The creek bed has changed so significantly that during low tides the U.S. Coast Guard located in Saugerties, cannot use their larger vessels, because the silt has settled and created a higher creek bed. But city officials state that the option is mud or flood, and that by releasing the water they actually decrease the risk of flooding to other areas along the lower Esopus Creek. “If DEP were to completely or effectively discontinue the use of the release channel today,” Paul Rush, NYC DEP Deputy Commissioner for Water Supply writes in a letter to the Editor (Watershed Post 1/15/12), “which has been running at 600 MGD, then inflow from the watershed would quickly fill up both basins of the reservoir and turbid water would be spilled into the lower Esopus from the East Basin spillway in the Town of Marbletown. This would provide significantly less flood protection and still send turbid water into the lower Esopus. Reacting to the “mud or flood” dilemma, Saugerties Town Board officials feel there are other options that haven’t been considered. “DEP asserts we have to choose between flood control and turbidity. At meetings of the ARWG we were told, ‘you can’t have it both ways.’ This unacceptable answer is a blatant refusal to work cooperatively to control flooding and control turbidity. DEP does have other options, but refuses to discuss them,” the resolution reads.
Saugerties resident, Tricia Patterson, who has lived along the Esopus her entire life, echoes the sentiment that there are alternatives. “ What is interesting about the decision to do these releases is that there are alternatives to destroying this waterway, the recreation, the beauty and the habitat for so much wildlife. Yet, the alternatives are discounted without ever being offered or considered.” Patterson then asks about an aqueduct that exists “between the Hudson and the Ashokan Reservoir, an option that Saugerties Town Supervisor, Kelly Myers also brought up. “There is a pipeline that leads from the Ashokan Reservoir directly into the Hudson with a faulty valve.” Myers said that the NYC DEP was told to decrease the alum in the Kensico Reservoir, but then rather than looking at other options they chose the “cheapest way to do it”, and “traded one destruction for another.”
Another problem local officials have is that these plans were made privately, without any local stakeholders involved in the process.
Myers also pointed out the timing of the Draft Consent Order and public hearing process comes at a time when there are no releases from the Ashokan Reservoir. The water is clearing up, and residents may be away on vacation. But, should the Draft Consent Order pass; Myers said that the city will be allowed to dump up to 1 billion gallons per day into the lower Esopus. “If it’s allowed to stand, we’re going to have a completely destroyed ecosystem along the creek,” Myers contested.
Right now, the NYS DEC is accepting public comment pertaining to the Draft Consent Order and releases from the Ashokan Reservoir until July 16. To view the Consent Order, visit www.dec.ny.gov. All public comments can be emailed to ashokan@gw.dec.state.ny.us or mailed to NYSDEC, Division of Water, Bureau of Water Resource Management, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233.
