September 5, 2019

Volunteers from the Catskills and Hudson Valley will lead cleanups at six reservoirs, one stream

Sixth annual Reservoir Cleanup Day scheduled for Sept. 15; cleanups begin at 12pm

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that it will team up with school groups, business leaders, environmental advocates, local nonprofits and watershed citizens to remove litter and recyclables from public recreation areas at six water supply reservoirs and one streamside location in the Catskills and Hudson Valley. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to participate in DEP’s sixth Reservoir Cleanup Day on Sunday, Sept. 15. The volunteers will remove debris from areas that are generally used for fishing and boating access.

This year’s cleanup follows a record-setting effort in 2018, during which 410 volunteers removed nearly 350 bags of debris and recyclables from reservoir shorelines. The haul weighed more than 4,600 pounds. In many cases, debris blew onto reservoir property from nearby roads, washed down toward the reservoirs by streams and rivers, or was left behind at access areas used by the public for fishing and boating.

DEP’s Reservoir Cleanup Day is among dozens of similar events happening across the state as part of the American Littoral Society’s annual New York State Beach Cleanup, which organizes volunteers to remove debris from beaches, lakes and other popular bodies of water. DEP is among the government agencies, businesses and foundations that sponsor the statewide effort. In 2018, a total of 7,053 people participated in cleanup events throughout New York, removing 45,311 pounds of debris along 194 miles of shoreline.

Cleanups this year will happen at Ashokan and Pepacton reservoirs in the Catskills, and at Kensico, Lake Gleneida, Muscoot and New Croton reservoirs in the Hudson Valley. Volunteers this year will also clean a stretch of the East Branch Croton River in Croton Falls. Each cleanup at these locations will begin at 12pm and is expected to finish no later than 3pm. Volunteers will meet at central locations designated for each reservoir, which are listed below. DEP will have tents or signs posted at each of the locations to help volunteers find them.

To help reach volunteers, DEP has worked with local nonprofits, schools and community groups for the cleanup effort at each reservoir. Local high school students can fulfill some of their required community service hours by participating in the cleanup efforts. Anyone who wishes to volunteer can also reach out to (800) 575-LAND or watershedevents@dep.nyc.gov. Pre-registration is highly encouraged.

• Ashokan Reservoir: Volunteers will meet at the “Frying Pan” parking area just off Route 28A. Register here.
• Pepacton Reservoir: Volunteers will meet at the Shavertown Bridge boat launch area in the Town of Andes, just off Route 30 on the north side of the bridge. Register here.
• Muscoot Reservoir: Volunteers will meet at the end of Old Bedford Road in Goldens Bridge. Register here.
• Kensico Reservoir: Volunteers will meet at the old Kensico Laboratory near Aerator Road and Westlake Drive in Valhalla. Register here.
• Lake Gleneida: Volunteers will meet near the Sybil Ludington Statue on Route 6. Register here.
• New Croton Reservoir: Volunteers will meet at boat storage area No. 20 on Route 100, about one-quarter mile west of Muscoot Farms. Register here.
• East Branch Croton River: Volunteers will meet at the southeast corner of Route 202 and Croton Falls Road in Croton Falls. Register here.

DEP and volunteers will keep a tally of the type and quantity of debris that is collected at each site throughout the day. Data will be reported back to the American Littoral Society at the end of the event.

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 $20.1 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.