Complements Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State Historic $3.75 Billion Commitment to Water Quality

New York State recently announced more than $18 million in grants to support 12 water quality and climate resiliency projects in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Region 5. The awards are part of more than $265 million in investments recently announced by Governor Kathy Hochul to help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure statewide access to clean water. 

Today’s announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs administered by DEC and the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund, and other sources. The programs—Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP), Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Mapping Grant (NPG), and Resilient Watersheds Grant (RWG)—help protect communities and water quality while reinforcing the State’s support for municipalities by making these critical projects more affordable and minimizing the financial burden on local taxpayers. 

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Since taking office, and most recently in the 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul continues to provide unprecedented resources to invest in climate resiliency and water infrastructure to support communities across the State. With more than $265 million from multiple programs, including $185 million supporting improvements in environmental justice communities, the awarded projects will help our municipal partners achieve meaningful reductions in flood risk, protect drinking water, improve aquatic habitat, and safeguard residents from increasingly severe weather events.”

EFC President and CEO Maureen Coleman said, “Governor Hochul is investing billions in water infrastructure every year to help local governments affordably advance crucial water quality and resiliency projects. By pairing Environmental Bond Act funding with other State program funding to support new and signature programs, every dollar goes further and brings New York closer to a safer, more sustainable future. The new Resilient Watersheds Grant program will jumpstart flood-mitigation projects in some of the most at-risk communities while creating good-paying jobs that drive local economies."

The funding complements the historic environmental investments announced earlier this week in the 2026 State of the State, building upon the record support for New York State’s premier grant programs that fund critical water infrastructure, protect drinking water, and safeguard communities.    

DEC Region 5 Awards

Clinton County 

• Town of Chazy:
• $1.99 million through WQIP for a wastewater treatment plant and filtration improvement project to reduce the discharge of phosphorus, improving water quality in the Lake Champlain watershed. 

• Trout Unlimited, Inc.:
• $327,584 through WQIP for aquatic connectivity projects with local municipal partners to replace a failing culvert in the Town of Franklin and remove a derelict dam in the Town of Saranac. The projects will connect eight stream miles of trout habitat in the Saranac River. 

• Town of Plattsburgh:
• $50,000 through NPG for development of a green infrastructure feasibility study to explore practices that would divert and infiltrate stormwater runoff on the Plattsburgh Air Force Base property. Implementation of study recommendations will ultimately reduce nutrient and sediment loading to Lake Champlain. 

Essex County  

• Boquet River Association Inc.:
• $1.52 million through WQIP for an aquatic connectivity project with local partners to remove an undersized culvert on Cold Brook in the Town of Willsboro. A new single span bridge structure will enhance flood resilience and improve spawning fish habitat in the Boquet River watershed.
• $492,680 through WQIP for a fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement project on riparian habitat at two sites on Beaver Brook and Burpee Brook. The project will improve habitat for species of greatest conservation need, such as landlocked Atlantic salmon, and reduce sedimentation in the Boquet River watershed. 

• Essex County:
• $1.27 million through WQIP for the Essex County Department of Public Works to replace an undersized culvert on Spruce Mill Brook with a 50-foot bridge, opening five miles of stream habitat for native brook trout and landlocked Atlantic Salmon within the Boquet River watershed.  

• Essex County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $388,000 through WQIP for a rock salt reduction project to purchase live edge plows, weather monitoring systems, and cameras to monitor road surface conditions. These practices will reduce excess rock salt application county-wide and improve water quality in the Lake Champlain, Upper Hudson, and St. Lawrence River watersheds.  

• Town of North Hudson:
• $180,000 through WQIP for the Town of North Hudson to construct a salt storage facility to protect the water quality of Schroon River and groundwater. 

• Town of Jay:
• $50,000 through NPG for development of a winter road maintenance plan to address road salt runoff in the Ausable River watershed. The study will assess current road salt application practices and develop a comprehensive plan to reduce usage through best management practices such as brine application, live-edge plow technology, GPS monitoring, and other operational strategies. 

Franklin County 

• Town of Malone:
• $4.8 million through RWG for a project to remove Whittlesey Dam, its penstock, and the Main Street weir and powerhouse. The project also will include stream restoration to remove fish passage barriers and reduce flood risk to commercial and private residences. Once all components of this project are completed, flood depths in the 100-year future flow will be reduced by up to 10 feet. 

• Town of Tupper Lake:
• $600,000 through WQIP for construction of a salt storage facility next to the Highway Department Garage. The new structure will protect the water quality of Tupper Lake and groundwater. 

• Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $400,000 through NPG to support MS4 mapping of eight member municipalities in the Jefferson County Stormwater Coalition. Maps created through this project will enhance each municipality's ability to identify and eliminate illicit discharges, prioritize maintenance, plan for system upgrades, and improve water quality. 

• Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $131,100 through WQIP for an aquatic connectivity project to replace an undersized culvert on Collins Brook in the Town of Chateaugay. Replacing this culvert will improve aquatic habitat, stream connectivity, and reduce downstream erosion.  

Hamilton County 

• Trout Unlimited, Inc.:
• $1.28 million through WQIP to continue a project in partnership with the Town of Arietta and Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District on the South Branch Moose River to replace six additional culverts in the Bradley Brook, Red River, and Sumner Stream subwatersheds. This project will reconnect over eight stream miles that serve as native brook trout habitat. 

• Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $200,000 through WQIP to implement a county-wide road salt reduction program and purchase live edge snowplow blades and pavement temperature sensors. This project will reduce road salt application and protect water quality in several Adirondack communities. 

Saratoga County 

• Saratoga County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $600,000 through WQIP for a salt storage shed construction project at the Town of Wilton Highway Garage to reduce salt runoff and protect groundwater and water quality in the Snook Kill watershed. 

• City of Saratoga Springs:
• $520,000 through WQIP for a culvert replacement project on Gilbert Road. A larger, concrete structure will improve aquatic organism passage, reduce sedimentation, and increase flood resilience in the Fish Creek watershed.
• $450,000 through WQIP for replacement of a structurally compromised culvert that is impacting aquatic connectivity and water quality. The project will restore aquatic organism passage, mitigate flood hazards, and improve overall stream function in the Saratoga Lake watershed. 

• City of Mechanicville:
• $30,000 through NPG to update existing MS4 mapping to address gaps in data critical to mitigating flood risk and managing discharges to the Hudson River watershed. 

Warren County 

• Town of Bolton:
• $2.48 million through WQIP for a dam restoration project to repair the Edgecomb Pond Dam, which impounds the Town's primary water supply. The repairs will reduce flood risk to downstream critical infrastructure and protect the water supply.
• $59,290 through WQIP for the purchase of brine applicators for tandem plow trucks and equipment to inform de-icing application rates. This project will reduce road salt application and help protect water quality in Lake George. 

• Town of Hague:
• $228,000 through WQIP for a salt storage facility construction project that will protect the water quality of Hague Brook and Lake George. 
• $50,000 through NPG to fund an engineering study to inform dredging options to remove sediment that has formed where Hague Brook drains to Lake George. The study will help implement practices to reduce phosphorus and sediment in Lake George. 

• Warren County:
• $350,000 through WQIP for the replacement of an undersized and deteriorated culvert on Clendon Brook in the Town of Queensbury. The new culvert will have a concrete bottom with natural streambed to mimic natural conditions that will promote aquatic species passage. 
• $258,000 through WQIP for the replacement of a failing and undermined culvert in the Town of Queensbury. The project will result in a full reconstruction of the culvert with a new abutment bridge, reducing erosion and restoring natural stream function to a Lake George tributary. 

• Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $209,992 through NPG for expansion of the five MS4 communities to map out and meet all requirements of the MS4 general permit. This mapping will aid in the maintenance of stormwater systems and provide valuable data for future stormwater improvement projects throughout the urbanized areas of Warren County, ultimately reducing flooding due to increased rainfall events. 

Washington County 

• Washington County:
• $2.12 million through WQIP for a project to stabilize six eroding roadside sites, including a half-acre slope failure adjacent to a wetland. This project will prevent sediment and nutrients from entering the Lake Champlain and Upper Hudson River watersheds. 

• Town of Salem:
• $195,000 through WQIP for the purchase of four 5,000 gallon salt brine storage tanks and a salt brine production system as part of the Town's transition to using more salt brine to de-ice roads. The new equipment will protect water quality near the Batten Kill, a trout stream, and groundwater. 

• Trout Unlimited, Inc.:
• $122,754 through WQIP for design and implementation of a 650 feet of channel naturalization and streambank restoration along two sections of the Battenkill in Washington County. The project will stabilize eroding streambanks, improve aquatic habitat for native brook trout, and ensure flood resiliency. 

More than $208 million was awarded to 131 projects statewide through DEC’s WQIP grant program.  WQIP grants fund 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. A full list of grant awards can be found here. 

A total of $2.9 million was awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s NPG program to fund the initial planning of WQIPs, such as replacing undersized culverts, implementing green infrastructure, and completing State permit-required storm sewer mapping in urban areas. NPG projects reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers, and streams, and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. A full list of grant awards can be found here.  

In addition, $55 million in new grant funding was awarded to 24 climate resiliency projects in 15 communities across New York State. EFC, in coordination with DEC, administers the RWG program funded through the Environmental Bond Act. RWG projects were selected to reflect the diverse, statewide issues that New Yorkers are facing and include stream and floodplain restoration; removal of dams, culverts and other barriers; culvert replacements; and property buyouts. The RWG program builds on the success of DEC’s Resilient NY, which delivers state-of-the-art studies of flood-prone, high-risk watersheds across the state. All awarded projects were recommended actions by Resilient NY studies or a comparable flood study. A full list of grant awards can be found here. 

New York State's Commitment to Water Quality Improvements 

Governor Hochul remains committed to ensuring New Yorkers have access to safe, clean drinking water. As outlined in the 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul is proposing a bold five-year, $3.75 billion commitment to modernize New York State’s water systems, providing $750 million annually to deliver clean water while also unlocking the state’s economic potential. This historic funding level will also continue to uplift and support New York State’s premier water programs, such as WQIP, the Water Infrastructure Improvement program, and the Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation program. In addition, the new Smart Growth Water Grant Program will fund the essential sewer and water infrastructure required to build new housing and support the state’s growing economy.   

Since 2017, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature have invested $6 billion in clean water infrastructure to replace aging water mains, upgrade sewage treatment plants, replace lead pipes, filter toxic PFAS chemicals, and much more. The Governor’s new commitment would raise that total to nearly $10 billion.  

About New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act

On November 8, 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Environmental Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. A total of $1.9 billion is invested to date. Learn more at www.environmentalbondact.ny.gov.

About the Consolidated Funding Application

Some of the grants announced were issued through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process. The CFA was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process, marking a fundamental shift in the way State resources are allocated by ensuring less bureaucracy and greater efficiency to fulfill local economic development needs. The CFA serves as the single-entry point for access to economic development funding, ensuring applicants no longer have to slowly navigate multiple agencies and sources without any tools for coordination. Now, economic development projects use the CFA as a support mechanism to access multiple State funding sources through one application, making the process quicker, easier, and more productive. Learn more about the CFA here.