Esopus Releases to Continue (NY)

The Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a decision on the Esopus River that has been anxiously awaited by paddlers. The decision granted New York City a water quality permit for its diversion that provides drinking water to the city and recreational opportunities for whitewater paddlers.

The new permit will allow boatable releases to continue on the Esopus River. This is a victory for the paddling interests involved, most notably the Kayak and Canoe Club of New York, with which AW played a supporting role. 

 

At issue was potential regulatory violations relating to the water quality of the released water. Trout Unlimited challenged the acceptability of the releases with regards to water temperature and turbidity.  As a solution they requested that a special multi-level intake be constructed in the reservoir to draw water of lower turbidity and of specific temperatures: a proposal supported by New York Rivers United, AW, and KCCNY. This proposal was ultimately not endorsed by DEC but may be revisited in the future. 

 

Wayne Elliot, the regional fisheries manager for DEC, testified at hearings held to determine the fate of the releases that the releases are good for trout. He pointed out that turbidity does stress the fish, and makes reproduction and feeding difficult, but that not having enough water in the river makes it impossible for them to live. 

 

Paddlers testified that the releases provide a high quality Class II boating experience for residents of New York City and other areas of the densely populated mid-Atlantic region. In what appears to be a significant oversight however, paddling is not specifically referenced in the decision.  

Still, the releases will continue to provide recreational benefits for both angling and whitewater boating in future years.  They were found to not violate water quality standards, and to provide significant recreational, ecological, and water supply benefits.