Protecting Our Streams & Waterways

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Refer to the links below to learn more about the water resources projects the Rockland County soil & water conservation district provides and learn more about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency equipment loan program.

Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Facebook Page

NYS Flood Study Initiative

The Governor's office issued a series of flood and ice jam studies throughout target watersheds across New York State. SLR engineering firm is completing the study at target watersheds in Rockland County. These target watersheds include the Minisceongo Creek, Sparkill Creek, Mahwah River, and Hackensack River.

The SLR team hosted public meetings to share the scope of the study with government officials and community members. A recording of the community members meeting is available here. The SLR team will conduct field research at flood prone sections of each watershed as well as sites that are missing hydraulic modeling data. The engineers will then complete a formal report with recommendations to address flooding in each watershed. A final stakeholder meeting will be held in the summer 2021 to share the results of the study.

If you have information on historic flooding in any of the target watersheds, please share that data to the SLR portal.

Stream Biomonitoring Water Quality Project

The purpose of these studies is to sample 20 stream sites each year within Rockland County for benthic (bottom dwelling) invertebrates (2006 - the present) to determine both water quality and the source of impact affecting a site, if any, based on the invertebrate community structure. The studies are funded by the Rockland County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD). The assessment and reports are completed using the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Professional External Evaluations of Rivers and Streams protocol.

County planning and development agencies may use the data and analysis obtained from this project for planning purposes (e.g., increase the riparian buffer in areas where the streams were classified as slightly to moderately impacted). In addition, the results of the surveyed stations located within the communities may be used to meet several requirements set forth in the US EPA Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) regulations.

Beginning in 2017, the SWCD focused the studies on the investigating the impacts of culverts on waterways and the surrounding benthic environment. The 2017 report below includes an assessment of impaired culverts along Sherwood Farm Lane and Swim Club Road in Stony Point. The 2018 report includes an assessment of impaired culverts along Crescent Road in Haverstraw. The 2019 report includes an assessment of the culvert along Margaret Keahon Drive in the Town of Orangetown.

The 2006-2016 baseline and long term monitoring reports are available below.

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program

Volunteers conduct physical, chemical and biological surveys of Rockland County's streams to monitor the current state of streams' health and assess the level of impairment.

Streams are affected by the amount and type of pollutants that dissolve/flow into them, via storm drains and runoff. Pollutants include sediment resulting from soil erosion from developments and construction sites; nitrogen, phosphorous and pesticides leaching from lawns, and roadway and parking lot runoff such as car oil, and litter.

The purpose for monitoring our waterways is to:

Collect baseline water quality data for our streams in Rockland County.
Connect citizens with their local streams through education and hands on involvement.
Allow public access to water quality monitoring information for educational purposes.

This program is a collaboration between The Rockland County Soil & Water Conservation District and The Rockland County Division of Environmental Resources. The program started in Spring 2006 and is in partnership with The N.Y.S. Soil and Water Conservation Committee.

The program is now using the NYS DEC Water Assessment by Volunteer Evaluators (WAVE) monitoring protocol. The season runs from July 1st- September 30th. WAVE Training Sessions are available from May - June.

Take a look at one of our recent studies and view the Sparkill Creek Watershed Report Card: