Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program (2020) / Chapter Skim
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2 The Land and the People - Ecological, Historical, and Cultural Antecedents
2 The Land and the People - Ecological, Historical, and Cultural Antecedents
Pages 27-52
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From page 27... ...
A summary and synthesis -- linking the Catskills region and New York City -- is vitally important to establish common ground for the next phase of the Watershed Protection Program, especially during the leadership transitions that will occur during the next decade. GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND VEGETATION The eastern extent of the Catskill Mountain region is clearly defined by the Hudson River Escarpment, rising about 500 meters, 8 to 10 km away from the river.
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From page 28... ...
As discussed in Chapter 6, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) stream assessments have identified relatively limited areas on two tributaries of Esopus Creek that generate a large proportion of the total suspended solids (turbidity)
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From page 29... ...
combine in predictable and unpredictable ways. The history, character and condition of the Catskills forest demonstrates the remarkable resilience of this ecosystem -- the living filter for Catskill Mountain communities and the NYC water supply system.
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From page 30... ...
Catskill Mountain water supplies every home, every farm, and every community in the region before it flows into the reservoirs of the New York City water supply system.
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. Hence, the Catskill Mountain region was never a "pristine wilderness" untouched by human activity.
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Other families came from the adjacent Hudson River valley. Of necessity, early settlement began with the slow task of forest clearing (about 2 to 3 acres [1 hectare]
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From page 33... ...
Western Catskills and Delaware River Headwaters The considerable distance west of the Hudson River and north of the main stem of the Delaware River, coupled with the challenging topography and trackless forests of Delaware County, delayed Euro-American settlement until 1797 (Duerden, 2007)
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From page 34... ...
More recently, the immediate resistance to NYC DEP's proposed 1990 Watershed Rules and Regulations and the formation of the Coalition of Watershed Towns and the Watershed Agricultural Council led to the negotiation of the MOA and the Watershed Protection Program. After more than two centuries, working farms and working forests form the basis of Delaware County's history, landscape, and culture.
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From page 35... ...
, unlimited access to streams by livestock, manure from barnyards and streamside pastures, and effluent from pit privies only made matters worse. In the Catskills, tannins were derived from dry hemlock bark ground into a fine powder then dissolved in water to make tanning liquor for "the pits." Seemingly inexhaustible quantities of large, mature hemlock trees, large perennial streams, and long-distance transportation routes via the Hudson River -- for raw hides coming in, and finished leather going out -- made the region an efficient, if not ideal, location.
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From page 36... ...
Wood-Using Industries: Logging, Sawmills, Furniture Factories, Cooperage Mills, and Charcoal Kilns Relatively small, water-powered sawmills were built and operated on virtually every large stream or small creek in the Catskills. A stair-step sequence of sawmills lined the banks of some creeks.
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From page 37... ...
Large quantities of hardwood saplings were cut to supply barrel "hoop wood" to coopers in the Catskills, Hudson River valley, and New York. Furniture factories and cooperage mills were also located directly on streams or creeks to provide waterpower for their belt-and-pulley systems.
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From page 38... ...
. Bluestone Quarries Bluestone is a durable, fine-grained, and versatile blue-gray siltstone that was produced in very large quantities by scores of Catskill Mountain quarries from 1830 until about 1900.
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From page 39... ...
Some teams were supplied by farmers seeking short-term seasonal work and a supplemental cash income. Many draft horses were owned by the teamsters who hauled raw hides in from Hudson River landings to the tanneries, and leather, lumber, bluestone, cooperage, furniture, wool cloth, and many other Catskill Mountain products out to Hudson River ports.
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From page 40... ...
, road, trails, and the Catskill Forest Preserve boundary (green line with inward-facing hachures) in the vicinity of Phoenicia, New York -- Esopus Creek/Ashokan Reservoir watershed.
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From page 41... ...
and other political and cultural changes would lead to the establishment of the Catskill Forest Preserve. The subsequent recovery of forests and aquatic ecosystems, streamflow regimes, and water quality happened to occur just before they were urgently needed to expand the New York City water supply system.
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From page 42... ...
If you had the means and opportunity to escape the oppressive heat and unsanitary conditions in cities4 by partaking of the blissful scenes in paintings and literature, you acted on that impulse. The pent-up demand for an escape to a clean, healthy, restorative environment was first met by the Catskill Mountain House in 1824.
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From page 43... ...
The Land and the People -- Ecological, Historical, and Cultural Antecedents 43 FIGURE 2-9 One of 50 hotel advertisements in the Ulster & Delaware Railroad's 1901 Guidebook, The Catskill Mountains: The Most Picturesque Mountain Region on the Globe. SOURCE: Courtesy of the Shandaken Historical Museum, Pine Hill, New York.
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From page 44... ...
It followed the Esopus Creek valley, then passed over the watershed divide into Delaware County, connecting to Oneonta, New York, in 1900. Both railroads carried tourists to and from the Catskill Mountain houses.
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From page 45... ...
In contrast, the Delaware water supply system was still new, and the recent, large-scale use of eminent domain was a source of bitter resentment. Delaware County and parts of Schoharie and Greene counties had large numbers of dairy farms and reliable, long-standing links to regional markets.
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From page 46... ...
Many dedicated people, organizations, and agencies are working diligently and creatively to address these economic and demographic challenges and to develop new opportunities. The Delaware County Planning and Economic Development Departments,6 Delaware County Chamber of Commerce,7 Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC)
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From page 47... ...
Table 2-2 compares the population of the watershed residents displaced by construction of the water supply system to the concurrent population of New York City. The human experience and community transformation subsumed in the dates, place names, and population statistics in Table 2-2 are highlighted by the following excerpt, based on the detailed records of the NYC BWS pertaining to the Pepacton Reservoir (Galusha, 2016:210)
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From page 48... ...
Courtesy of Delaware County Historical Association, Delhi, New York.
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From page 49... ...
Justified by public necessity and informed by a much greater awareness of needs, sacrifices, common interests, and interdependent relationships, the Watershed Protection Program has evolved into a proactive and resilient way to manage and sustain the NYC water supply system. SUMMARY The Catskill Mountain region is a long-settled landscape with a forest-farm-tourism economy, adaptable, self-reliant people with deep roots, strong home-rule traditions, and historical precedents for cooperation and resistance.
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From page 50... ...
The biophysical and political landscape that supports an irreplaceable water supply system for millions of people, the homes and livelihood of ~50,000 watershed residents, and the large and diverse group of visitors and part-time residents will -- as it has for centuries -- continue to change and evolve. To the credit of all involved, the continuing, good-faith efforts by watershed communities and NYC DEP to resolve long-standing differences and obstacles to cooperation have strengthened the NYC Watershed Protection Program and the economic vitality of the Catskills.
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From page 51... ...
2013. Empire of Water: An Environmental and Political History of the New York City Water Supply.
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From page 52... ...
2015. A guide to Delaware County's thriving craft culture.
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