Source Water Protection Initiatives Bolster State’s Record Investments in Water Quality and Contributes to New York State’s 30x30 Initiative 

Photos of Protected Lands Available Here  

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced more than 1,200 acres were permanently protected by five community-based partners through a successful State program to protect water quality. Multiple locally significant open space conservation actions in Westchester, the Finger Lakes, and Western New York were supported by DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program, which helps local land trusts acquire properties adjacent to drinking water sources, preventing stormwater runoff or erosion that could lead to water contamination or degradation. 

“Protecting drinking water at the source is one of DEC’s key priorities and we’re proud to partner with so many great organizations through the Water Quality Improvement Project program to conserve our lands that help filter and secure clean water resources,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “New York State’s continued investments from Westchester to the Finger Lakes to Buffalo demonstrate Governor Kathy Hochul’s commitment to safeguarding drinking water sources and open space that provide countless environmental, public health, and economic benefits.” 

Five land trusts received DEC grants, totaling more than $7.4 million, through the statewide competitive Water Quality Improvement Project Program. Together, a total of eight parcels were acquired to protect critically important drinking water sources with any remaining funds used to identify and acquire additional source water protection lands. 

In Erie County, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper (BNW), with assistance from Western New York Land Conservancy, acquired two properties totaling more than 44 acres. These parcels were identified as priority projects in the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan for drinking water protection. The two properties, referred to as Kaiser and Paul after their prior landowners, protect the Niagara River watershed in the town of Concord in perpetuity and have similar attributes that make them ideal for source water protection. The properties contain a mix of wetlands and forests, with Eighteen Mile Creek and a tributary running through them. The wetlands and forests will now be protected and continue to serve as natural buffers for the nearby drinking water supplies. 

BNW Executive Director Jill Jedlicka said, “Protecting our region’s Great Lakes and inland waterways starts with protecting critical headwater forests and green space at their source. We are grateful for our long-standing partnership with the Western New York Land Conservancy which allows each of our organizations to do what we do best—protect our water, protect our lands—and to support the shared vision of the Western New York Wildway that will benefit our entire region. Thank you to the DEC and their funding support from the WQIP program, and to the property owners who patiently and generously worked with our team for years to be able to conserve these lands and waters for future generations.” 

Also in Western New York, the Birdsall property preserves more than 200 acres and 500 feet of shoreline along Black Creek to protect important wetlands and surrounding forests in Allegany County’s Black Creek watershed. The Western New York Land Conservancy (WNYLC) acquired the Birdsall property to help protect the water quality of downstream public drinking water sources in the Genesee River Basin, which includes the village of Angelica’s public water supply. The waters of Black Creek provide drinking water for rural residents of the county. Black Creek flows to Angelica Creek and into the Genesee River, ultimately flowing all the way to Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes system. The property is an important piece of the Western New York Wildway and home to a wide variety of plants and animals. 

WNYLC Executive Director Marisa Riggi said, “Over the past five years we’ve made tremendous progress in protecting public drinking water sources and the Western New York Wildway. But since only 1.3% of identified linkages in the Wildway are conserved, permanently protecting these linkage properties represents a wonderful, positive step toward creating the corridors of connectivity the Western New York Wildway requires. We are thrilled to share this success with our friends at Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, and we are truly grateful for the DEC’s WQIP grant program and all of our generous donors who made this possible. This partnership demonstrates that when organizations work together, they can make a lasting impact on our region.” 

In Westchester County, the Westchester Land Trust acquired two adjacent forested parcels totaling more than 13 acres. These parcels are adjacent to a portion of the New York City Watershed that runs along the shoreline of the 770-acre Muscoot Reservoir. The town of Bedford Open Space Acquisition Committee prioritized these two parcels for protection. Westchester Land Trust stepped in when the parcels were listed for sale to develop two new estate homes, which would have potentially resulted in clear cutting of the existing forests and increased stormwater runoff carrying potential contaminants that could have entered the drinking water source. The properties will be added to the town’s open space inventory and remain undeveloped for the purpose of source water protection. 

Westchester Land Trust President Kara Whelan said, “Westchester Land Trust and the town of Bedford have a long legacy of working together to protect our shared natural resources. We’re proud to uphold our community’s long-standing commitment to land conservation and we’re grateful to DEC’s WQIP program and the Bedford Open Space Acquisition Committee for championing this effort to safeguard a key piece of this watershed.” 

In the Finger Lakes region, the Nature Conservancy acquired a 99-acre parcel in the town of Locke to protect Owasco Lake, a drinking water source that serves more than 30,000 people. The land cover of the property is a mix of forest and wetlands, both great for filtering runoff and protection of the nearby drinking water source. The parcel includes headwater wetlands and streams. These upstream systems play a crucial role in sustaining entire ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. The wetlands onsite also serve as nature’s sponges, absorbing excess water during storms and slowly releasing it during dry periods, helping to stabilize flows and reduce the risk of both flooding and drought. 

The Nature Conservancy's New York Executive Director Bill Ulfelder said, “By protecting and restoring the lands around rivers, lakes, and streams, we can safeguard clean drinking water for New York families. The Nature Conservancy is proud to partner with DEC on projects that improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat. This project conserves upstream wetlands and streams, which is one of the most effective ways to safeguard the health of downstream lakes. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and the New York State Senate and Assembly, New York continues to lead the way by providing critical funding through the Environmental Protection Fund, Clean Water Infrastructure Act, and Environmental Bond Act to undertake projects like these that benefit people and wildlife throughout our great state.” 

In another project benefitting the Finger Lakes region, the Finger Lakes Land Trust acquired a conservation easement of more than 115 acres in the town of Niles in the Skaneateles Lake watershed and a 26-acre parcel in the town of Summerhill in the Cayuga Lake watershed. The property in the Skaneateles Lake watershed will protect a portion of Bear Swamp Creek. The property in the Cayuga Lake watershed will help to protect a drinking water source and more than 3,000 feet of Fall Creek and surrounding wetlands from potential development. 

Finger Lakes Land Trust President Andrew Zepp said, “Both of these projects help protect wild streams that serve as public drinking water supplies. They also build upon earlier projects that were completed through partnerships with New York State through the WQIP program. This program is really making a difference in the Finger Lakes region and elsewhere in the state. The health of our streams and lakes depends upon the health of the adjacent land and the WQIP program is providing the resources needed to secure these critical areas.” 

Water Quality Improvement Project Program

New York is maximizing State resources to help contribute to the 30x30 Initiative, helping conserve 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. To date, DEC has preserved nearly five million acres of land through fee or conservation easements across all management categories. Land acquisition through the WQIP program is one valuable tool, serving as a competitive, reimbursement grant program that funds projects that directly improve water quality or habitat or protect a drinking water source. Last December, DEC awarded more than $222 million through the WQIP program to support land acquisition projects for drinking water protection like those announced today, municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, polluted runoff abatement and control, salt storage construction and road salt reduction practices, dam safety rehabilitation, repair and removal, aquatic connectivity restoration, marine district habitat restoration, and fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement. This grant is offered through the State’s Consolidated Funding Application. More information on this program is available on the DEC WQIP website.

Additional Efforts to Protect Drinking Water Resources

DEC and the State Department of Health, in collaboration with the Departments of Agriculture and Markets and State, created the Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) to assist municipalities with proactively protecting their drinking water sources. Communities work with a technical assistance provider, free of charge, to develop and initiate implementation of their drinking water source protection program. DWSP2 plans protect both public health and water quality of surface and groundwater across the state. To date, DWSP2 has served nearly 2.5 million water consumers and evaluated 136 source waters in New York State. If interested in becoming one of more than 100 municipalities participating in DWSP2, please visit the DWSP2 website to fill out an interest form and view example plans, factsheets, and past newsletters or contact source.water@dec.ny.gov for additional information.

New York's Commitment to Water Quality

New York State’s nation-leading investments in water infrastructure include an additional $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the 2025-26 Enacted State Budget, for a total of $6 billion invested in water infrastructure since 2017. The funding is in addition to other substantial water quality investments, including the historic $425 million Environmental Protection Fund and $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. For more information and to sign up for grant updates, go to environmentalbondact.ny.gov.