Katherine Czajkowski

Mohawk Watershed Coordinator

Background:

Our Waters, Our Communities, Our Futures

Asked the question “How best to manage natural resources and human activities”

Report recommended an Ecosystem-Based Management Approach to Watershed Planning

The Mohawk River Watershed was one of the recommended targets.

Developed with direct input from various partners

Set of 5 priority ecosystem management goals

A plan for how we achieve those goals

Goal 1: Fish, Wildlife and Habitats: Conserve and protect fish, wildlife and their habitats

Goal 2: Water Quality: Protect and improve water . Goal 3: Flood Hazard Risk Reduction: Promote

Flood Hazard Risk Reduction and Enhanced Flood Resiliency

Goal 4: Community Revitalization

Goal 5: Working Landscapes: Maintain the

existing working landscapes.

Governor Cuomo’s cabinet level “Mighty Waters Working Group”

NYSDEC: Environmental Sustainability

Flood Hazard Risk Reduction

NYDOS: Community Revitalization

Maintain Working Landscapes

16 member Steering Committee

5 Subcommittees

Where the real work gets done!

1 for each goal in the Action Agenda Subcommittee Chairs

Ad-hoc work groups

Subcommittees Develop list of proposed projects

The more detail the better!!! The What, Why, Who, and How Much!!

Present this list to the full Steering Committee

Steering Committee Collectively agree on proposed projects across the subcommittees Identify the most appropriate partner, set of partners

Basin Program Staff

Settle on final list of projects within budget restraints, solicit feedback from Steering Committee

Determine contract methods Initiate project implementation

Promote collaboration on basin-wide activities related to Conservation Restoration Sustainable Economic Revitalization

Help foster sustainable management “Ecosystem Based Management” (EBM)

Through partnerships

Federal/State/Local/ Non-profits/Academia etc…

Ocean and Great Lakes EPF funding

FY 12/13 (212K), 13/14 (145k), 14/15 (145k)

Minigrants

Trees-for-Tribs

Watershed Symposium

Hudson River Environmental Cond. Obs. System

Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring

Sediment Management

Mohawk River

Hudson River

Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS) - http://www.hrecos.org/joomla/

Utica and Lock 8

Flood forecasting/warnings

Ice jam forecasting

Water quality conditions

Sediment transport

2012 – Mohawk River Basin Mini-Grants Program Awards

Applicant Project Title Description

Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy Bintz Conservation Easement Protection of ~120 acres of active working farmland and

associated natural areas with a conservation easement in the

Town of Glenville

Schoharie River Center, Inc. Schoharie River Center – Environmental

Study Team

Expand water quality monitoring by local community-

based volunteer Environmental Study Teams

Restoration of riparian buffers to slow bank erosion and the

liberation of suspended sediment

Town of Colonie Mohawk Landings Park Connection Establish a trail connection from Colonie’s Mohawk

Landings Park to the Colonie Bike Path and the Mohawk

River to enhance opportunity for recreational activities and

access to the River

Town of Niskayuna Niskayuna Waterfront Development

Feasibility Study

Feasibility study to assess the viability of building a

community facility/boathouse on land adjacent to Aqueduct

Park.

Schoharie County Schoharie County Recreation Map Development of an inventory of recreational opportunities

that exist within Schoharie County. The inventory will then

be utilized in the development and distribution of a GIS-

based web and paper map identifying recreational

opportunities within Schoharie County.

ECOS: The Environmental

Clearinghouse, Inc.

Along the Bike Trail Guides and Educational

Workshops

Research, development and printing of guide booklets for

use of the Mohawk River bike/hike trail in Albany,

Schenectady and Montgomery Counties.

Through a grant with FEMA a Flood Hazard Mitigation Study was performed on Main-Stem Mohawk from Utica to Schenectady

Identify at-risk facilities located within a floodplain Identify funding for communities Conduct similar work in tributaries (Schoharie)

Identify “soft” projects – wetland and riparian corridor

restoration sites, retention basin projects etc…

Flood Inundation Warning System

“Relative Abundance of Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis) in Relation to Permanent and Removable Dams on the Mohawk River”

Soil and Water Coalition – Watershed Management Plan - 2010

Funded through DOS - Local Waterfront

Revitalization Program (LWRP) Grant Makes significant contributions toward many of

the Action Agenda goals Plan includes:

Characterization and description of subwatersheds Assessment of natural resources Evaluation of government roles and laws Development of management strategies

Wadeable Assessment by Volunteer Evaluators (WAVE)

External Water Quality Data Coordination Effort

Integration of water quality data into DEC mandated reporting

Restoration and stabilization of riparian areas through planting of vegetation such as trees, shrubs, or grasses along streambanks

River Days

Day in the Life of the River

Department of State Watershed Planning Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) Brownfield Opportunity Areas Grants Program Strategic Planning

Department of Agriculture and Markets

Agricultural Environmental Management Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

Empire State Development Corp.

Governor's Economic Development Councils Mohawk Valley Regional Council preparing to provide a forum for these particular goals

2013 Governor’s State Budget Included Mohawk River Basin Program allocation

800k included as a separate line in the HREP

Implement the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda

What to do with the funding? Projects that are directly linked to Action Agenda

targets will be funded

Subcommittees • Fish, Wildlife, & Habitats • Water Quality • Flood Hazard Risk Reduction

Steering Committee

DEC Basin Program Staff

Project Implementation

Continue to reach out to new partners with different expertise – To achieve shared goals

The Mohawk Identity

Continue collaboration on myriad of issues

Continue to leverage our resources and expertise

Collectively develop management priorities

Outline time-frame for achieving these goals

Questions?

Katherine Czajkowski – Basin Coordinator

518-357-2383 kmczajko@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Alexander Smith – Program Manager

518-285-5627

ajsmith@gw.dec.state.ny.us