Saw Kill Watershed Community – Sage House News: The Cornell University Press Blog

eel survey.jpg — Eel survey, mouth of the Saw Kill at the Hudson

The need for improved water resource protection is urgent, yet land-use activities increasingly imperil our water supplies. With that in mind, we’re excited to present the second installment of a three-part blog series, “Watershed Paths to Water Protection,” on citizen stewardship of water resources by Karen Schneller-McDonald, author of Connecting the Drops: A Citizens’ Guide to Protecting Water Resources.

Watersheds connect people in multiple communities through a shared interest in water. Water doesn’t respect municipal boundaries, so watershed protection encourages water users to form partnerships—not only among towns and villages, but also with colleges and universities. Even if you don’t live in a college town, chances are good that the watershed that supplies your drinking water includes a college or university campus. Continue reading “College and Community: A Watershed Partnership” →

View of Hudson River from Cold Spring, New York © Angela Rutherford

The need for improved water resource protection is urgent, yet land-use activities increasingly imperil our water supplies. With that in mind, we’re excited to present a three-part blog series, “Watershed Paths to Water Protection,” on citizen stewardship of water resources by Karen Schneller-McDonald, author of Connecting the Drops: A Citizens’ Guide to Protecting Water Resources.

We’ve seen the headlines.

“Officials Call for Drastic Action Amid ‘Water Quality Crisis’ in Newburgh”

“Hoosick Falls Water Contamination Crisis”

“Hopewell Families Win Battle for Money in Toxic Water Fight”

And that’s just the beginning, as threats to water quality become reality, affecting life and health in an ever-growing list of communities.

How can we protect our water? To facilitate local discussion about water protection, the Hudson Valley Regional Council and the Saw Kill Watershed Community hosted a workshop on September 25 in Red Hook, a small Dutchess County town on the Hudson River. People filled the community meeting room, drawn by a shared concern: protecting their drinking water. Continue reading “Watershed and Community” →