June 17, 2014

CONTACT:

deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov, (845) 334-7868

Department of Environmental Protection Hosts Youth Fishing Day at Lake Gleneida

Event co-sponsored by state Department of Environmental Conservation’s “I Fish NY Program”

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that it will host a youth fishing day at Lake Gleneida in Carmel on June 22. The event is being co-sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which will supply fishing poles and bait to those who do not have their own. As part of the “I Fish NY Program,” the New York State fishing license requirement is waived for adults who want to fish during this event. A free DEP access permit will be required for participants over the age of 16. If adults do not have a free DEP access permit, applications and guest permits will be available on the day of the event, or a permit can be obtained online anytime by going to the DEP website.

The 168-acre Lake Gleneida is home to many species of fish, including lake trout, bass and panfish. DEP and DEC staff will be available to teach participants how to fish and assist with fishing equipment. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parking will be located along the lake on Route 6. For more information about the event, call DEP at (845) 340-7873.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of high quality water each day to more than 9 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and others professionals in the upstate watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $157 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.7 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with over $14 billion in investments planned over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/nycwater.