Q&A
Land acquisition and protection measures for Kensico Reservoir
1:32:04
·
3 min
DEP officials discuss the prioritization of land acquisition around Kensico Reservoir and various protection measures implemented to safeguard water quality.
- DEP is focusing on high-priority land acquisition areas, with Kensico watershed being a top priority
- Approximately 375 out of 1000 eligible acres have been acquired around Kensico
- Protection measures include storm water detention basins, spill control booms, and shoreline stabilization projects
Rohit T Aggarwala
1:32:04
I'll I'm gonna say a word, and then I'll ask assistant commissioner Warren to to to say more.
1:32:12
So what you're describing is basically why one of the reasons that we've made the decision that we've made to sunset our active land acquisition and priority areas 3 and 4 and focus on these really high priority areas and and to a certain extent like we don't have it.
1:32:31
But that Kansko watershed is kind of priority here is 0.
1:32:35
Right?
1:32:35
I mean, it doesn't get more valuable than that.
1:32:37
And in fact, I'm very pleased.
1:32:39
We had a very expensive but very successful piece of land in Mankisco.
1:32:45
Okay.
1:32:46
Sounds good.
1:32:46
It's not unpleasant that we've had our eyes on for a long time that we are actually in the process of acquiring, which is which is a big win because any piece of land we can get in that Kansco watershed is super valuable and of course is sometimes 2 orders of magnitude more expensive than land in the West of Hudson watershed just because of the property values in that area.
1:33:12
There have been a number of things that we have done in terms of shoreline stabilization and other things around Kansko.
1:33:20
But for the details on those, I would turn it over to the assistant commissioner.
1:33:24
Sure.
David Warne
1:33:25
Thank you, commissioner.
1:33:27
Yes.
1:33:27
And Mister Cherry, you're
James F. Gennaro
1:33:30
Please stay in for the record for you, of course.
David Warne
1:33:32
David Warren, assistant commissioner for Bureau of Water Supply.
1:33:36
And, yes, Mister Cherry, your recollection is correct.
1:33:39
About the size of the watershed and the approximate contribution of the water that comes from the watershed as opposed to the aqueducts that bring water from West of Hudson.
1:33:49
Because of the importance of Kanskeko in our operational scheme.
1:33:56
A lot of effort has been focused on the basin since the early 19 nineties, and we have implemented a number of practices around the reservoir we've put storm water detention basins on every single tributary that comes in from the drainage area.
1:34:13
We have installed spill control, booms, and measures at key points, around the transportation infrastructure.
James F. Gennaro
1:34:22
All this being done to keep native water out of the reservoir.
David Warne
1:34:25
To keep contaminants in native water out of the reservoir.
1:34:28
Yes.
1:34:30
As the commissioner mentioned, land acquisition has been a a focus.
1:34:33
There's a limited number of vacant l eligible acres in the Gensco Basin, approximately a 1000.
1:34:41
Thus far, we've bought about 375 of those acres of that 1000 acres, and we have an additional key parcel under contract, which would be about another 60 acres that we intend acquire.
1:34:53
And then most recently, we've completed projects right around the one of the intakes to stabilize the shoreline.
1:35:01
We came to understand that we way wind that was coming from a certain direction was building up wave action, coming down the basin, and it was eroding the shoreline immediately adjacent to the intake and then causing or contributing to turbidity readings at the intake.
1:35:21
So we undertook extensive program to rip wrap the shoreline on both sides of the intake, to prevent that kind of wave action, that wind induced turbidity from causing impact at the intake.
1:35:34
So a lot of effort has been made and focused on KensaCo since the earliest days of the Fed and continues to be a primary focus.
