| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19-026 DEP Celebrates Earth Day With Cleanup Efforts in Putnam and Westchester CountiesDEP staff and volunteers collaborate on cleanups at Lake Gleneida and New Croton Reservoir
Caption: Employees from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) celebrated Earth Day on April 22 by cleaning shorelines and boat-launch areas at Lake Gleneida in Putnam County and New Croton Reservoir in Westchester County. They were joined at Lake Gleneida by members of the Oasis Club, a sportsmen’s club based in Putnam. The two cleanups yielded more than 400 pounds of trash that had been tossed from passing vehicles or left behind at fishing access points along the two bodies of water. The Earth Day effort complimented more than two tons of trash that were collected during DEP’s annual reservoir cleanup day last October, and it underscored the need for local residents and outdoor enthusiasts to protect our natural resources by properly disposing of their trash and recyclables.
DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9.6 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 other professionals in the watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $168.9 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 $19.7 billion in investments planned over the next decade that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. | |
