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DEC Contact: Jeff Wernick (518) 402-8000
PressOffice@dec.ny.gov

January 06, 2025

DEC AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ANNOUNCE 768-ACRE CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY IN THE BLACK RIVER VALLEY

Largest Easement Purchased to Date through New York’s Water Quality Improvement Project Program

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

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Nature Conservancy today announced the acquisition of a 768-acre conservation easement in Herkimer County through the state’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program. The WQIP funds projects that directly improve water quality or habitat; promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency; or protect a drinking water source. This acquisition will have lasting impacts on the water quality and habitats in the Black River valley and surrounding landscape between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack Park.

“DEC is proud to partner with The Nature Conservancy and the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust on the largest conservation easement acquisition in the history of New York’s successful Water Quality Improvement Project Program,” DEC Acting Deputy Commissioner for Water Resources Carol Lamb-Lafay said. “This property will now protect Hinckley Reservoir for generations to come and offers increased water quality protections for important drinking water resources.”

"The Nature Conservancy is pleased to partner with the Department of Environmental Conservation, Ton-Ka-Wa landowners, and the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust to conserve this special place in the Black River Valley,” said Dirk Bryant, New York Director of Lands at The Nature Conservancy. “The property protects an important source of clean drinking water and provides crucial habitat for wildlife between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondacks.”

Chris Welch, Ton-Ka-Wa landowner, said, “Without this grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the hard work and perseverance of the staff at both The Nature Conservancy and the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, this vision would never have come to fruition.  Fifty years ago, my father tried to place a conservation easement on this incredibly beautiful piece of property. With a small but diverse group of shareholders, it was difficult to get consensus. Without the WQIP grant I do not believe we would have been successful this time. I am incredibly thankful to all the people who helped make this happen, as I’m sure my father would be too.”

Ton-Ka-Wa Parcel

The Nature Conservancy received over $500,000 from DEC’s WQIP grant program to conserve properties for source water protection in the Black River Valley. A portion of the grant has been used to conserve a property within the town of Ohio to protect Hinckley Reservoir, a drinking water source for more than 125,000 New Yorkers. Known as the Ton-Ka-Wa property, the land was conserved through a conservation easement, allowing the property to remain under private ownership while being managed to protect clean drinking water. The conservation easement will be held and stewarded by the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust.

The Nature Conservancy analyzed data to identify parcels that either currently, or following restoration, have the potential to contribute to source water protection and landscape connectivity. The 768-acre Ton-Ka-Wa parcel was one of the top-rated properties for both. In addition to protecting clean drinking water, the property will also connect important habitats between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack Park. The Black River drains the western slope of the Adirondack Mountains and the eastern edge of the Tug Hill Plateau before flowing north and west and emptying into Lake Ontario. The Black River watershed is mostly forested and sparsely populated.

The property is adjacent to West Canada Creek which drains into Hinckley reservoir with more than 2,500 feet of shoreline. Another 6,500 feet of Conklin Brook is also on the property. Woody wetlands and mixed forest make up most of the land cover protected under the easement. The area along these streams and throughout the property consists of land uses that act as natural filters for potential pollutants that would otherwise enter the drinking water source through events such as flooding and stormwater runoff. The shoreline and land cover will now be protected in perpetuity for source water protection. Conservation of this property supports New York State’s 30x30 initiative, part of greater national and international goals of conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.

Water Quality Improvement Project Program

In May, Governor Hochul announced a combined $300 million in climate resiliency funding available, including at least $215 million for WQIP projects funded through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA), and the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. Applications were accepted through July and DEC is reviewing submissions. Earlier this year, the State awarded $146 million through the WQIP to support municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, polluted runoff abatement and control, land acquisition projects for drinking water protection, salt storage construction, aquatic connectivity restoration, and marine habitat restoration. 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. For further questions, reach out to the DWSP2 Team at source.water@dec.ny.gov


New York's Commitment to Water Quality
New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, including more than $2.2 billion in financial assistance from the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) for local water infrastructure projects in State Fiscal Year 2024 alone. With $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the FY24 Enacted Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $5.5 billion in water infrastructure between 2017 and this year. The funding is in addition to other substantial water quality investments, including the voter-approved $4.2 billion 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. Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State initiatives are helping to ensure ongoing coordination with local governments and ensure communities can leverage these investments. The Governor increased WIIA grants for wastewater projects from 25 to 50 percent of net eligible project costs for small, disadvantaged communities. The Governor also expanded EFC’s Community Assistance Teams to help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities leverage this funding and address their clean water infrastructure needs. Any community that needs help with its water infrastructure is encouraged to contact EFC.

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