The deadline for the Lower Esopus Stream Management Plan Survey has been extended to Monday, July 17th.
The public survey is available here: https://loweresopussmp-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/pages/survey

We invite you to take a survey to help shape our community’s vision for the lower Esopus Creek. Take the online survey and offer your views on issues like recreational access, natural habitats, and educational opportunities. Ulster County and an advisory council of local organizations are collaborating on a Stream Management Plan for the Lower Esopus. Public input is an important part of the planning process. The public survey is available here: https://loweresopussmp-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/pages/survey

For reference, here is an interactive map of the lower Esopus Creek: https://loweresopussmp-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/ulstercounty::lower-esopus-mainstem/explore

A second public hearing on the permit application and the Draft EIS, including Ashokan Reservoir operations and releases, will be held at 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, through the Webex Events electronic webinar platform. For instructions for attending the hearing, visit: https://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/122281.html

The deadline for written comments has been extended to June 16, 2021. All interested parties may submit written comment concerning the Draft EIS and permit applications to the DEC Contact Person listed below by June 16, 2021. Comments sent by regular mail must be postmarked no later than June 16, 2021. E-mail comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. June 16, 2021.

DEC CONTACT PERSON: Kristen Cady-Poulin, Environmental Analyst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, Phone: 518-402-9167, E-mail: DEPPermitting@dec.ny.gov

For more information, please visit the DEC website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/122281.html

Kayak Tour of the Tidal Lower Esopus
9/14 11AM; Saugerties
Riverkeeper and the Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership are hosting a kayak tour of the tidal Lower Esopus in Saugerties to share information about the natural history and environmental issues facing the creek. Tour guides include Riverkeeper’s Kate Hudson, and Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership’s Mary McNamara. The tour will include the tidal Lower Esopus creek, and lunch on the grounds of the Saugerties Lighthouse (note: the lighthouse will not be open to the public that day). The tour is suitable for those who have experience in a kayak. Participants may bring their own kayak or canoe, or rent one from I Paddle New York. Space is limited. RSVP required to Dan Shapley at dshapley@riverkeeper.org. Pack a lunch, water and sun protection. Meet at Tina Chorvas Park in Saugerties, NY.

Kayak Tour, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve
9/21 9AM; Saugerties
Esopus Creek Conservancy is sponsoring a guided kayak and canoe tour of Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in conjunction with the annual Ulster County Creek Week. Participants will paddle the tranquil waters of the Esopus Creek above the dam in Saugerties, visiting the coves and wetlands of Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, and the shoreline to the south. Meet 9AM. at the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Participants will put-in at the beach. Bring your own kayak or canoe. All participants MUST wear a personal floatation device (life vest). Rain or thunderstorms will cancel the paddle. Children are welcome and encouraged if accompanied by a responsible adult, but please do not bring pets. Pre-registration is required. This ECC Environmental Education paddle is free and open to the public, but limited to a maximum of ten watercraft. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org. Contact the paddle leader, Steve Hart (kayak642000@yahoo.com) to register, or for additional information.

Kids Fishing Day at the Ashokan Reservoir
9/22 9AM – 2PM; Ashokan Reservoir in West Hurley
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection and state Department of Environmental Conservation will host a fishing event for children and their parents. Poles and bait will be supplied, but feel free to bring your own. As part of the state’s “I Fish NY Program,” the New York State fishing license requirement is waived for adults who want to fish during this event. Come and relax, bond with your children, and enjoy the beautiful scenery and fantastic fishing the Ashokan Reservoir has to offer! DEP and DEC staff will be available to teach participants how to fish and assist as needed. If adults don’t have a free DEP Access Permit, applications will be available at the event or they can be obtained online anytime at:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/recreation/access.shtml. The free event will be held at the Woodstock Dike on the Ashokan Reservoir. A parking lot is located on a gravel road off Route 28, just east of the West Hurley Post Office. For more information on the event, you may contact DEP at 845-340-7873.

See full listing of Ulster County’s Annual Creek Week: http://ucenvironment.org/ulster-county-creek-week/

The exploration of and training on the Lower Esopus digital watershed sub-basin mapping tool has been pushed back 1 week.

Originally scheduled for Jan 15th, the workshop and training will now be on January 22nd, from 9am til noon.

The event is taking place at Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in the Kingston Plaza.
You are welcome to attend!

Workshop: TUESDAY, JANUARY 22nd, 9 am-12 noon

The digital sub-basin maps were created by the CCEDC GIS Lab in coordination with Hudsonia Ltd. for the Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provided funding for this project from the Environmental Protection Fund through the Hudson River Estuary Program in partnership with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.