Insert your name, title, and district

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Lower Hudson Coalition of Conservation
Districts Volunteer Streamwalk Program

• Presented by
• Insert your name, title, and district

Developed by the Westchester County Department of
Planning and the Westchester County Soil Water
Conservation District
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The Lower Hudson River Watershed
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The Lower Hudson River Watershed

• Counties Participating in Streamwalk Program
• Albany County
• Dutchess County
• Greene County
• Orange County
• Putnam County
• Rensselaer County
• Westchester County

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Watershed Facts

• 3.4 Million Acres which includes all or parts of
  11 New York Counties
• Contains 152 Stormwater MS4 Communities from a
  total of 437 for NY State

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Watershed Issues

• Development pressure
• Stormwater management
• Erosion and sedimentation
• Biological diversity protection
• Habitat restoration
• Community character
• Economic sustainability

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Primary Watershed PollutantsNonpoint Source
Pollution

• Sediment
• Nutrients (Fertilizer)
• Toxics (Petroleum, Pesticide)
• Heavy Metals
• Pathogens (Coliform)

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Watershed Planning
Implementation of Water Quality Protection
Measures
Technical Assessment of Natural Features, Land
Uses and Water Quality
Public Education and Outreach
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Planning Process

• Assessment
• What is happening to our Streams?
• Planning
• What needs to be done?
• Implementation
• How will we get there?
• Evaluation
• Did we make it?

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What is a Streamwalk?
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Volunteer Streamwalk Program
Assessment vs Monitoring

• Assessment A one time evaluation to describe
  existing conditions
• Monitoring Repeated evaluations to describe
  trends or changes in condition

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Volunteer Streamwalk Program
Types of Stream Assessments

• Biological
• Chemical
• Physical

The Streamwalk Program is a Hybrid of all Three
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Earth Team Volunteer Program

• USDA/NRCS
• Environmental Projects
• Age 14 and up
• Insurance

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Volunteer Streamwalk Program
Components of a Streamwalk Packet

• Earth Team Volunteer Application
• Maps
• Segment Survey Forms
• Score Sheets
• Impaired Site Assessment Forms
• Public Outreach and Information Materials
• Equipment

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Volunteer Streamwalk Program
Survey Forms

• Segment Survey
• Used to describe the overall characteristics of a
  stream segment
• Impaired Site Assessment
• Used to describe the characteristics of an
  impairment (specific site of degradation)

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Volunteer Streamwalk Program
Rating Your Stream

• 12 Stream Elements to Rate/Score
• Range of Scores 10 (best condition) to 0 (worse
  condition)
• Score Only Elements Relevant to Stream
• Total Values of all Elements Assessed
• Divide Total by Number of Elements Raw Score
• Compare Raw Score to Stream Condition Rating
  (excellent to poor)

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LAND USE
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CHANNEL CONDITION
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HYDROLOGY
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Debris hanging from branches is evidence of
recent flooding.
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RIPARIAN ZONE
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BANK STABILITY
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WATER APPEARANCE
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NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT
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BARRIERS TO FISH MOVEMENT
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INSTREAM FISH COVER
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POOLS
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INSECT/INVERTEBRATE HABITAT
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CANOPY COVER
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EMBEDDEDNESS
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IMPAIRMENTS
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Your name and contact informationphone (999)
999-9999e-mail
SURVEYS DUE AUGUST 31st
Your District name and logo
Andrew J. Spano, Westchester County Executive