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On Tuesday evening, June 10th Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Rondout Creek Watershed Council, Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership and Wallkill River Task Force will host a seminar to educate municipal officials and residents and businesses living or working in flood prone areas about the latest regulations and technologies for flood prevention, mitigation, and response.
FLOODPLAIN MAPPING AND MANAGEMENT with Bill Necheman from NYS DEC speaking on recent floodplain remapping and related local municipal regulations; Ira Stern on operations of NYC DEC Water Supply Reservoirs, Jason Shea of Army Corps of Engineers reporting on Reconnaissance Studies of Rondout/Wallkill and Esopus Creeks, and Joe Damrath of DEP on value wetlands and riparian buffers in flood mitigation; followed by Q & A panel. At Rosendale Rec Center on Rt. 32. Free and open to all. Municipal officials and people who live or have a business near a creek or stream or in a floodplain are strongly encouraged to attend. Sponsored by Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Rondout Creek Watershed Council, Sawkill Watershed Alliance and others.
Speaker Presentations:
FEMA Floodplain Mapping Revisions: Bill Nechamen, Chief of the Floodplain Management Section of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, will explain Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) revised requirements, regulations and recommendations regarding construction in floodplain, distinguish between floodplain and floodway, and provide the municipalities with sample model ordinances, which they must adopt to maintain flood insurance, and may enhance to suit their town. NY State residents and businesses development in federally mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas are eligible to purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program provided their municipality has adopted such a local law for flood damage prevention. These flood areas have recently been updated for Ulster County.
Army Corps Reconnaissance Studies for Esopus-Plattekill and Rondout-Wallkill Creeks: Jason Shea, Project Engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers, will review the findings of his agency's surveys, the Reconnaissance Study of the Esopus and Plattekill Creeks and of the Rondout and Wallkill, performed over the past year. The Corps is now considering taking the next step to do a Feasibility Study for these watersheds, taking a watershed-wide planning approach, with ongoing input from local municipalities. Flood prevention and mitigation programs represent one aspect of the investigation because communities in these watersheds have been extensively impact by flooding over the past few years. The Corps is seeking a state, county or local partner to match the several million dollar cost of performing a feasibility study.
Flood Mitigation Capacity of New York City Water Supply System: Ira Stern, Regional Manager for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, will focus on the Ashokan and Rondout Reservoirs and their impacts on flood management for areas below their spillway. The reservoirs, kept close to full to try to prevent a deficit in case of drought, have reduced the amount of water flowing into the lower Rondout and the Esopus Creeks by storing large volumes to provide water to 9 million people New York City. Severe storms can cause the reservoirs' storage capacity to be exceeded. Mr. Stern will explain the City's methods of balancing local needs for flood mitigation with their mandate to supply NYC with water.
Importance of Wetlands and Riparian Buffers in Flood Prevention and Mitigation: Joe Damrath, senior environmental analyst for the NYC DEP, will focus on the value of wetland and riparian buffers, including restoring and enhancing buffers by tree planting projects and other methods of flood mitigation. In addition to engineered flood control projects, intact riparian buffers and their wetlands serve multiple flood management functions. Vegetated buffers along the shorelines help stabilize stream banks and prevent erosion. These areas also provide important habitat to amphibians and other water-loving plants and animals.
Panel Discussion: The individual presentations will be followed by a question and answer session and interactive discussion. Art Snyder, Director of Ulster County Emergency Communications/Emergency Management and DEC flood management staff will be on hand as resource people to join the panel and help answer questions.
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