The New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Open Space Institute
(OSI), and the Orange County Water Authority (OCWA) announced the
permanent protection of 83 acres of land to safeguard a critical water source
for more than 29,000 residents in the City of Newburgh. Located just 100
feet from Browns Pond and within its watershed, protecting the property has
long been a conservation goal for OCWA, Orange County, the City of Newburgh,
and a coalition of land and water conservation organizations.
“New York State’s
record investments are ensuring long-term access to clean drinking water,
and DEC is fortunate to work with partners like the Open Space Institute
and Orange County Water Authority to achieve our goals,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar
said. “This project will help protect the water
supply in the city of Newburgh, not only as a drinking water source, but
also as a valuable environmental and economical resource for the region.”
“Over
five years of effort have gone into purchasing this land that will help protect
the City of Newburgh's water supply,” OCWA Board of Directors Chairman Dominic Cordisco said. “On
behalf of the OCWA, we thank those who helped make this happen, including our
partners at the Open Space Institute, Orange County Land Trust, and the County
Law Department.”
“In
fast-growing Orange County, this project will safeguard sources of clean
drinking water for Newburgh, preventing new sources of pollution from being
introduced into the watershed,” OSI President
and CEO Erik Kulleseid said. “OSI is extremely proud to
build on our decades-long commitment to protecting clean water by successfully
facilitating a complicated project that is critical to this community's
continued health and well-being.”
“Following the
discovery of PFAS in Washington Lake which rendered the City of Newburgh’s
primary drinking water supply unusable, Governor Hochul has shown her
commitment to environmental justice by providing funding for Catskill Aqueduct
drinking water for our residents,” City of Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey said.
“When
the Catskill Aqueduct undergoes routine maintenance, the City of Newburgh uses
its backup water supply reservoir at Brown’s Pond as its drinking water source.
Now, with funding from the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Program, Governor Hochul has
reaffirmed her commitment to our City of Newburgh residents by protecting the
Brown’s Pond watershed. The City of Newburgh is grateful to the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation, the Open Space Institute, and the
Orange County Water Authority for their work to preserve the reservoir’s
watershed and ensure a continued source of clean drinking water for the City.”
The
property acquired by OCWA was identified as a top priority for protection due
to its size, the potential for development to impact the water quality of the
adjacent reservoir. In 2014, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were found in
Washington Lake, the City of Newburgh’s primary drinking water source.
Since 2016, availability of Browns Pond in the Town of New Windsor and the
Catskill Aqueduct have afforded the City with the flexibility to avoid
using Washington Lake as the primary source of its drinking water. Much of the
land within the watershed of Browns Pond was developed over the past 40 years
for residential use. The remaining undeveloped area in the watershed is under
high development pressure due to proximity to major commercial routes. Protecting
the property will help mitigate storm water runoff and prevent potential
contaminants from entering the drinking water sources.
Now
wholly protected from development, this latest land acquisition will continue
to naturally filter rainwater as it flows into the reservoir. The parcel is
comprised of a mix of meadows, mature woods, and wetlands with portions of
a stream that flow to Browns Pond. It is also adjacent to 440 acres of
reservoir land owned by the City of Newburgh. The City of Newburgh is
considered a disadvantaged community with both
significant population vulnerabilities and environmental burdens, making
protecting this land critical to advancing New York State’s environmental
justice efforts.
OSI
provided project support including technical, legal, and other assistance.
Their important role enabled OCWA’s acquisition of the property
after it was listed for sale in 2023. There were several competing
purchase offers on the table, but OSI was able to successfully secure an
agreement to conserve the property for $1.2 million. OCWA plans to acquire
additional property with remaining grant funds to further protect
the City’s drinking water sources. The land purchase was
made possible with approximately $900,000 in funding from a DEC Water Quality
Improvement Program (WQIP) grant and the remaining matching funds provided
by OCWA.
DEC’s WQIP program is funded through the
Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA) and the Environmental Protection Fund
(EPF) for projects that improve water quality; safeguard aquatic habitat;
promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate
resiliency; and protect threatened drinking water sources. Like all open space
conservation actions undertaken by DEC, acquisitions supported by WQIP
help implement the goals identified in the New York State Open Space Plan and the
state’s 30x30 Initiative to conserve 30 percent
of New York’s lands and water by 2030.
The OCWA was
created to address the long-term water needs of Orange County and supports the
planning and implementation of county, municipal, and inter-municipal
improvements focused on water supply, water resource protection, watershed
planning and conservation. OCWA developed the land acquisition program to
purchase land and/or conservation easements on properties that, if developed,
could negatively impact the City of Newburgh’s reservoirs: Washington Lake and
Browns Pond.
The Open Space
Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks
and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered
to protect more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in
the eastern U.S. and Canada. OSI's land protection promotes clean air and
water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens
communities, and combats climate change while curbing its devastating effects.
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