The Village of Philmont, in partnership with Philmont Beautification, Inc. and community stakeholders, are developing a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) component as a watershed management plan for Agawamuck Creek. This plan will develop management recommendations for improving water quality and restoring critical natural resources throughout the watershed, as well as identify measures to address invasive species.
The project is funded by the New York State Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund with a grant awarded to the Village of Philmont.
The watershed boundary includes towns and villages of Columbia County, including the Towns of Claverack, Ghent, Austerlitz and Hillsdale. The watershed is approximately 14,656 acres (22.9 sq miles) in size. The project is intended as a collaboration with participating towns located in the watershed.
This Agawamuck Creek Watershed Plan will develop management recommendations for improving water quality and restoring critical natural resources throughout the watershed, identify measures to address invasive species, and incorporate information identified in the watershed analysis (e.g. waterways, stormwater runoff, invasive species, onsite wastewater treatment systems, road weather management best practices, watershed data compilation and baseline monitoring).
A Watershed Advisory Committee includes governmental agencies, participating towns of Claverack, Ghent, Hillsdale, and Austerlitz, stakeholders, non-profit watershed organizations, and other members of the community affected by the watershed.
The goals of the Agawamuck Creek Watershed Plan are to better understand watershed conditions and public accessibility to waterbodies in the watershed.
The project officially kicked-off with a Project Initiation Meeting held on November 10, 2021.
Agawamuck Creek Watershed Management Work Plan (Revised)
Summary Notes of Watershed Advisory Committee meetings:
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022, Dept of State Webinar “Watershed Planning Basics”, Video Recording
- March 2022, Dept of State Webinar “Watershed Planning Basics”, slideshow pdf
- March 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021, NYS Office of Planning & Development Powerpoint Presentation, “Intermunicipal Watershed Management Program”
- November 2021, Project Initiation Meeting
Watershed Advisory Committee Members as of January 19, 2022
Barbara Sagal, Chair of WAC (former Village of Philmont Trustee)
Brian Johnson, Mayor of Philmont
Larry Ostrander, Trustee Village of Philmont
Clifford “Kippy” Weigelt, Supervisor Town of Claverack
Craig Simmons, Supervisor Town of Ghent
Greg Vogler, Deputy Supervisor Town of Austerlitz
David Lewis Esq., Chair of Conservation Council Town of Hillsdale
Gretchen Stevens, member of Conservation Council Town of Hillsdale
Emily Vale, Hudson River Watershed Alliance
Christine Vanderlan, Columbia Land Conservancy, (Community Projects Manager)
Julia Sedlock, community lead of BOA Subarea 4 Working Group, Philmont
Rob Fitzsimmons, Esq., attorney Village of Philmont
Project Management – Sally Baker, PBI.
Agawamuck Creek Watershed Project Reports:
Biological Report for Summit Lake and Adjacent Areas
Useful Documents and Resources:
Overview: Watershed Planning – What is a Watershed Management Plan?
These primers are essential reading for understanding why watershed planning is so essential to be taking place in the Agawamuck Creek Watershed.
Here’s a quick except from the Watershed Planning Guidebook guidebook.
“Communities and individuals across New York State have a strong connection to the water. New York’s landscape holds a diverse array of water resources, ranging from salt marshes, estuaries, and coastal beaches to freshwater lakes, streams, and wetlands. New Yorkers take pride in their water resources, for they help shape communities and provide us with drinking water, economic activity, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and a place to just relax and enjoy the scenery.
With all these benefits, it is no wonder that communities throughout New York are searching for ways to protect and restore these resources while balancing the need for economic growth and development.
Many communities are recognizing that a comprehensive watershed planning approach can help them to protect and restore their water resources. Communities throughout the State are already implementing local watershed plans with great results.”
Please check back to this page as we will be continuing to upload Summary Notes, reports, and progress updates.