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 WATERSHED AND CLEAN WATER GRANTS PROGRAM 

Protecting New York City’s Water Supply

Through the Use of Riparian Forest Buffers

BACKGROUNDThe Catskills Region of New York provides a reliablesource of high-quality water to the nine million residents of the New York City (NYC) metropolitan region. Watershedsin this area are heavilyforested but containsubstantial agricultural landsand numerous small townsand villages. Once the stateand city finalize their landacquisitions over the nextfew years, 61 percent will beprivately owned and

approximately 38 percentwill be purchased by theState and City to protectcritical watershed areas.

The resident population of the watersheds consists of nearly 70,000 located inportions of Delaware,Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan,and Ulster Counties. Forestsconstitute 75 percent of thetotal land area in the five Catskill/Delaware watershed

counties. The geologic history makes the area’swatercourses especially susceptible to bank erosion andsedimentation.

If NYC’s water supply is not protected at its source, theCity may be required to construct a multi-billion dollartreatment plant in order to meet Federal safe drinking waterstandards. This possibility was a contributing factor to theinitiation of the Riparian Forest Buffer Program.

With funding from the USDA Forest Service, theWatershed Agricultural Council (WAC) began a RiparianForest Buffer Program in 1999. This two-year pilot projectwill protect and restore streamside resources in the NYCwatersheds. As part of the Riparian Forest Buffer Program,WAC coordinates a network of professional resources tosupport the implementation of riparian forest buffers. WACprovides technical assistance, cost-sharing opportunities,and educational materials about the benefits of riparianbuffers to landowners, environmental educators, and

community groupswho assist withplanting and restoring riparian areas. The riparian bufferprogram is one component of a larger effort intended to

ensure thecontinued deliveryof high-qualitywater to NYC.

LOCATIONThe NYC water-shed is a surfacewater system that

provides anaverage of 1.34billion gallons of high qualitydrinking water toNYC each day.Approximately 90percent of thiswater comes fromthe 1,580 sq. mileCatskill/Delaware

watersheds, westof the Hudson River. Two of the major watersheds are the

East and West Branches of the Upper Delaware River.

The Catskill Watersheds that supply NYC. 

ISSUES BEING ADDRESSEDLand use changes in many parts of the watershed haveremoved native riparian vegetation, subjecting these areasto erosion and reducing their buffering and pollutant-trapping capabilities.

Development, agriculture, and timber harvests have alteredor entirely removed the original riparian forest corridoralong 75 percent of the streams in the Catskills. This losshas resulted in increased erosion, increased run-off tostreams from land-based activities, and degradation of 

stream system health and stability.

“There was a critical need for buffer awareness and bufferplanting in the Catskills,” said Brian Fisher, WatershedForestry Program Manager from the WatershedAgricultural Council. “Water quality is the driver,” headded.

Since 1999, the Northeastern Area and the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters havesponsored a cooperative challenge grants program to promote watershed health and restorationthrough the conservation, restoration, and sound stewardship of trees and forests.

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GOALS The overall goals of the project are to establish theprograms and resources necessary to aid and encourage alllandowners in becoming active stewards of their ripariancorridors. To accomplish this, the project will:

• Develop a Geographic Information System (GIS)-

based assessment of riparian areas and a systemfor targeting restoration and tracking progress.

• Establish native seeding nurseries.

• Conduct contractor training in restoration.

• Support buffer implementation on watershed farmsites.

• Compliment the Conservation ReserveEnhancement Program (CREP). CREP is areforestation program that targets agricultural landalong stream corridors. NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and USDA,which seek to establish 2,000 acres of riparianforest buffers by 2002, funds CREP. WAC’s

Riparian Forest Buffer Program assists landownerswith buffer and corridor restoration work on non-agricultural lands and lands that do not qualify forCREP.

• Promote the use of riparian forest buffers and buildcapacity to properly plan and install them. Increaseknowledge and capability to provide appropriateplanting stock.

In addition, the program will work to retain a workinglandscape that can provide forest products, economic returnto rural communities and forest landowners, and open spacefor recreation and wildlife habitat, while providing a highlevel of protection for the water supply and sustainingforest cover.

METHODOLOGYThe goals will be carried out through the use of educationand outreach, the development of various projects, the useof demonstration sites, and forest products development.

This project builds on and supports existing efforts;leverages private, Federal, and NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) funds; provides amechanism for prompt and effective use of targeted CREPfunds; demonstrates the use of trees and forests to protectwater quality; and provides other ecological benefitsassociated with riparian zones.

OUTCOMES / ACCOMPLISHMENTSThe following is a synopsis of the progress and results of the project.

Riparian Forest Buffer Re-establishment

The ability of NYC and WAC to address riparian zones andbenefit water quality and resource conditions is beingsignificantly improved. To date, the project has resulted inthe establishment of over 7 miles of new riparian buffers inthe targeted watersheds.

Appropriate native planting stock and containerizedseedlings for riparian buffer establishment are beingidentified, evaluated, and made available from the StateForest Nursery to meet planting needs.

“Whole Farm Planning” professionals have greaterawareness and expertise regarding usefulness,specifications and implementation of riparian forest buffersthrough training and workshops.

Improved and enhanced technical guidelines andspecifications are available for professional use regardingdesign and installation of riparian forest buffers, based onlocal field experience.

An assessment is being made of potential commercialopportunities from sustainable management and harvest of specialty crops in riparian buffers, such as floral productsfrom willow cultivars.

Over 160 participants attended a 1-day Riparian ForestBuffer Workshop in Delaware County. The workshopfeatured national riparian experts from across the country.

Riparian Forest Corridor StewardshipWith 75 percent of riparian corridors in the Catskillspresently in a forested or early-successional condition,

landowner stewardship is an important piece of the puzzle.Professional foresters are being trained to identify riparianareas on forested properties, develop riparian managementobjectives with their clients, and develop silviculturalrecommendations to maintain and enhance riparianfunctions.

Riparian Planning IncentiveWAC provides a financial incentives program to assistlandowners in obtaining these services as part of acomprehensive forest management-planning program forthe Watershed. Landowners who commit to develop and

Tree shelters protecting hardwood seedlings from deer near

Walton, NY.

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PARTNERSo NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

• Division of Lands and Forests

• Division of Water o NYC Watershed Agricultural Programo NYC Department of Environmental Protection

o Cornell Cooperative Extensiono USDA Natural Resources Conservation Serviceo Catskill Forest Associationo SUNY College of Environmental Science and

Forestryo Cornell Universityo Private sector consultants (forestry, agricultural

planning) 

FUTURE PLANSAn accomplishment report will be prepared documentingefforts, collaborations, results, and impacts of the entirepilot project.

Additional uses of GIS will be explored during subsequentphases of the Riparian Forest Buffer Project.

WAC will continue using an “Incentive Driven” approachin working with landowners. This will create opportunitiesfor positive learning and decision making that will benefitboth the environment and themselves. Landowners have aunique resource in riparian buffers. They will begin tounderstand that protecting the NYC Watershed is importantto them. And WAC is getting them up to speed.

Project ContactBrian L. FisherWatershed Forestry Program ManagerWatershed Agricultural Council33195 State Highway 10Walton, NY 13856-9751Phone: 607-865-7790Fax: 607-865-4932Email: blfisher@catskill.net www.nycwatershed.org/forest.htm 

Federal ContactMarcus Phelps, ForesterUniversity of Massachusetts108 Holdsworth Natural Resource Center

Box 34210Amherst, MA 01003-4210Phone: 413-577-0650Fax: 413-545-4358Email: mphelps@fs.fed.us

Grant Amount: $120,000

February 2002 IMA-MFO