‘Learn Your Watershed’
July 28-29, 2023
The Ashokan Watershed Conference is the AWSMP’s biennial stream-focused environmental conference for local municipal officials and watershed landowners/families, with this year’s overarching theme of “Learn Your Watershed Land.”
At the 2023 conference we learned about the storied Ashokan watershed landscape and how landowners can best manage streams on their property – from when and how to modify stream margins and what permits are needed, to the geologic history and indigenous wisdom that continues to shape the modern landscape.
The program was divided into three components:
Friday, July 28 is Municipal Officials Day – 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Emerson Resort & Spa, Mt. Tremper
Municipal officials working in the NYC Watershed attended this training on FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations and how they tie into building code requirements. The training was approved for Building Code and Certified Floodplain Manager continuing education credit. A certificate of completion was provided.
The instructor was Bill Nechaman, Certified Floodplain Manager and principal of Nechamen Consulting, LLC. Bill has 21 years experience with New York State’s floodplain management program (16 years as program director) and is a long-time volunteer with both the Association of State Floodplain Managers and a founder of the New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Manager’s Association.
View or download a copy of the program for Municipal Officials Day. See Bill Nechamen’s presentation slides below.
Presentations
Bill Nechamen, Nechamen Consulting
The NFIP and Building Codes: Development Standards for Floodplains
Saturday, July 29 is Landowners Day
Watershed landowners and residents were invited to attend and learn how to manage our unique streams that provide high quality water and enjoyment to millions of New Yorkers. We offered two sessions:
New Landowners Information Session + Lunch – 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Bearsville Theater, Woodstock, NY
Have you recently moved to the Ashokan Reservoir watershed? This session was designed for you! Presentations covered how to “read” your stream, how stream buffers protect property and provide landscape beauty, the watershed’s history of flooding and how to make your property flood resilient, and a rundown on programs available for youth and families in the watershed.
View or download the full program for the New Landowners Information Session. See the speaker presentation slides below.
Presentations
Tim Koch, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, and
Adam Doan, Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District
An Introduction to the Wild Streams of the Ashokan Reservoir Watershed
Heidi Emrich, Ulster County Department of Environment
Know Your Flood Risk, Build Your Flood Resilience
Bobby Taylor, Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District
Benefits of Buffers and the Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative
Matt Savatgy, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County
Connecting Youth with Nature in the Ashokan Watershed and Beyond
Jason Merwin, Catskill Watershed Corporation
Protection through Partnership
Landowners Forum + Nature Activities – 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., Bearsville Theatre
Open to all landowners in the Ashokan Reservoir watershed we offered a series of short presentations and family friendly outdoor activities with local watershed experts. Presentation topics were about obtaining stream permits, how to identify beneficial and nuisance plants, the watershed’s geologic history, and stream names and locations. Author Evan Pritchard shared indigenous knowledge about the Ashokan watershed and surrounding area.
Multiple organizations distributed materials for landowners including the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program, Trout Unlimited, Cornell’s Master Forest Owners, Catskill Watershed Corporation, and more.
View or download the full program for the Landowners Forum. See speaker presentation slides below.
Presentations
John Thompson, Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership
Emerging Invasives in the Ashokan Watershed
Brian Drumm, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Stream & Wetland Permits: What Landowners Need to Know
Shane Stevens, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, and Greg Clarke, MFO Volunteer
Introduction to the Cornell Master Forest Owner Program
Video: Exploring the Upper Esopus Creek Watershed
Aaron Bennett, Resident of Ashokan Watershed
40 Years of Flooding, and Counting: Experiences and Impacts on a Lifelong Resident
Dany Davis, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
A User’s Guide to the Geology of the Catskills
Evan Pritchard, Center for Algonquin Studies
Honoring the Great Circle of Life: Indigenous Teachings About the Esopus Watershed
Sign Up for More Information Here:
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Visit the AWSMP website for more information about past Ashokan Watershed Conferences and streams and stream management plans for the Ashokan Reservoir watershed.