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Watershed Omelette
A Breakfast Speaker Series
Save the date and we’ll save a plate... Second Thursday of each month, from 8am to 9:30am Join fellow water resource professionals, scholars and regulators for breakfast, learning, and networking at the Plaza Diner in New Paltz. Each Watershed Omelette will feature a 20 to 30 minute presentation by someone working on water resource issues in the Hudson Valley, followed by open discussion and networking time. The Hudson River Watershed Alliance is organizing these get-togethers to improve communication and awareness between those committed to better understanding and management of our watershed resources. Participants are responsible for purchasing their own breakfast from the menu. If you plan to attend, please contact Katy Dunlap, Environmental Associate, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, at 
November 13 Monitoring the Invasive Chinese Mitten Crab Eriocheir Sinensis Featuring Sarah Fernald, Research Coordinator, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. The first Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) documented in the Hudson River Estuary was found on June 3, 2007, when an adult male mitten crab was caught near Nyack NY, followed later that summer by an adult female. These crabs are labeled injurious because, at high densities, burrowing behavior may increase erosion, compromise shoreline structures, and impact aquatic vegetation. In 2008, the evidence of a mitten crab invasion greatly increased, with 17 live crabs found throughout the estuary, as well as over 150 shed exoskeletons of juvenile crabs. Most of these were discovered in conjunction within the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve on the Saw Kill. The documentation of juveniles suggests but does not definitively demonstrate mitten crab reproduction in the estuary. The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve has begun to monitor for the presence of larval stages of mitten crabs has begun and to document the downstream migration of reproductive adults. By documenting the occurrence and life cycle of this harmful invasive, the Research Reserve hopes to aid in the formation of a management plan.  Presentation
Thursday, October 9 - 8:30am-10am Stream Ecosystems: Concepts and Tools to Help Set Conservation Goals Featuring David Braun, Director of Conservation Science for Eastern New York, The Nature Conservancy. expanding rapidly. David Braun, of the The Nature Conservancy, will review the core concepts of how to set practical goals for conserving streams (and rivers) for their native biological diversity based on “key ecological factors”. Mr. Braun will then focus on ideas and tools to help identify and set goals to conserve crucial features of the flow regime and physical habitat, including the “Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration” (IHA), “Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration” (ELOHA), and “Active River Area” toolboxes. 
Thursday, September 11 Recommendations for Stream & Flood Management in Dutchess County: Lessons for Communities in the Hudson Valley Featuring Dr. Thomas Lynch of Marist College, is a member of the Dutchess Area Science Advisory Network, and one of the lead authors of Recommendations for Stream & Flood Management in Dutchess County. This document takes a logical approach towards the development of solutions to address re-occurring flooding, while maintaining natural stream channels and avoiding in-stream modifications. Dr. Lynch will discuss the recommendations from the Report and demonstrate how these potential stream management options can be transferred to other communities in the Hudson Valley. 
Thursday, June 12 Where does all the road salt go? Featuring Vicky Kelly, Manager of the Environmental Monitoring Program at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Streamwater concentrations of sodium and chloride have increased since 1986 when we began monitoring the stream. Yet in the small, rural watershed feeding Wappinger Creek at IES there has not been an increase in the use of road salt. What then caused the concentrations to increase? A comparison of the mass of sodium and chloride input to the watershed with the mass exported in the stream provides an explanation of what happens to the anti-icing salt used on our roads. 
Thursday, May 8 The Casperkill Stream in the Town of Poughkeepsie Featuring Kirsten Menking, Vassar College Environmental Research Institute. Students and faculty from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Geography, and Urban Studies at Vassar College have been working to assess the health of the Casperkill stream in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The group has measured nutrient concentrations, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and bacteria levels. The Casperkill Assessment Project (CAP) has also conducted kick-net studies for macro-invertebrates, done vegetation surveys to determine the width and composition of the riparian buffer, and conducted GIS analysis of land use in the watershed. A total of 21 sites have been sampled monthly for the last two years, providing a rich data set that indicates how different water quality parameters respond to land use change. Kirsten Menking, Director of Vassar’s Environmental Research Institute, will present findings on this urban stream as well as describe outreach efforts. 
Thursday, April 10 Urban Stream Syndrome: The Bio-Geo-Socio-Chemistry of Urban Watersheds Featuring Peter Groffman, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Watersheds are a natural (and well-used) physical unit for bio-geo-chemical research and can also function as a focus for human-environment interactions, i.e. bio-geo-socio-chemistry. Suburban watershed input/output budgets for nitrogen (N) have shown surprisingly high retention which has led to detailed analysis of sources and sinks in these watersheds. Home lawns, thought to be major sources of N in suburban watersheds, have more complex coupled carbon and N dynamics than previously thought, and are likely the site of much N retention. Riparian zones, thought to be an important sink for N in many watersheds, have turned out be N sources in urban watersheds due to hydrologic changes that disconnect streams from their surrounding landscape. Geomorphic stream restoration designed to reverse structural degradation caused by urban runoff can increase in-stream retention by creating features with high denitrification potential. Considering the “human element” in these biogeochemical source and sink processes is critical to improving the environmental performance of urban and suburban ecosystems. 
Thursday, March 13 Climate Change and the Hudson Valley: What can we expect? Featuring Kristin Marcell of the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program. Scientists predict that climates around the world will undergo dramatic change in the coming decades as the earth responds to global warming. How much warming are scientists predicting for our region? How will rising temperatures affect our weather and our communities? In this session we will review evidence of climate change, what this change will mean for the Hudson Valley, and what we can do to prepare.
CANCELLED Thursday, February 14 Where does all the road salt go? Featuring Vicky Kelly, Manager of the Environmental Monitoring Program at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Streamwater concentrations of sodium and chloride have increased since 1986 when we began monitoring the stream. Yet in the small, rural watershed feeding Wappinger Creek at IES there has not been an increase in the use of road salt. What then caused the concentrations to increase? A comparison of the mass of sodium and chloride input to the watershed with the mass exported in the stream provides an explanation of what happens to the anti-icing salt used on our roads. 
Thursday, January 10 Helping the Hudson Valley Agriculture Businesses Grow Todd Erling, Executive Director of Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC) will discuss promotion of the Hudson Valley as an attractive, viable region for agriculture through a creative program of marketing, promotion and the provision and coordination of financial and other resources. Mr. Erling will describe HVADC programs, partners, and efforts aimed at sustaining local agriculture and its economic and environmental benefits, in light of challenges faced by development pressures. 
Thursday, December 13, 2007 Riparian Buffer Protection Kevin Sumner, Orange County SWCD Orange County SWCD, in cooperation with other partners, has worked on and completed a fairly wide range of stream protection/buffer projects. Kevin Sumner will provide a general description of the setting, with an emphasis on the Wallkill River Basin and major challenges. He will briefly describe some of the land management practices promoted in the ‘watershed interior’ that contribute to stream protection and will show images of in-stream and near stream practices. Kevin will also describe funding and technical assistance opportunities available through SWCD and USDA-NRCS. 
Thursday, November 8, 2007Groundwater Model Jay Beaumont of Eustance and Horowitz, P.C. will demonstrate the Groundwater Model. Topics he will cover include: aquifers, wells, water table, groundwater movement, groundwater pollution, well drawdown and recharge, cone of depression, artesian wells, groundwater recharge of surface water, and drought impacts on wells. He also will discuss aquifers in this region and common pollution sources in the region including MTBE and road salt. 
Thursday, October 18, 2007Vernal Pools (Third Thursday This Month) Dr. Mike Rubbo of Teatown Lake Reservation will discuss vernal pools, focusing on ways to identify pools, their regulatory status, and the conservation challenges presented by this ecosystem. Presentation
Thursday, September 13, 2007Aquifer Recharge Rates and Sustainable Scott Chase, Executive Director, Dutchess County Water & Wastewater Authority and Russell Urban-Mead, CPG Hydrogeologist, The Chazen Companies Russell Urban-Mead discussed aquifer recharge, rates of recharge, and the role that precipitation plays in supporting wells, streams, and the dilution of septic system wastes. Rates of recharge provide a fundamental limit to amounts of groundwater available for potable use, streamflow preservation, and septic system wastewater dilution. Dutchess County’s approach to this question can be applied to parcels or watersheds anywhere for land use plans, zoning, or project review and design. For the power point presentation and a report on Aquifer Recharge Rates and Sustainable Septic System Densities, please click here. 
Thursday, June 14, 2007Chris Bowser of the Hudson River Estuary Program (and formerly of Clearwater) shared his experiences teaching about the river, in the river, next to the river—and what he’s learned about the power of education. 
Thursday, May 10, 2007Dr. David Strayer of Institute of Ecosystem Studies shed light on the mysterious lives of freshwater mussels, including their little-known practice of using lures to attract fish. Presentation
Thursday, April 12, 2007Amanda Higgs from the NYSDEC’s Hudson River Fisheries Unit shared her knowledge of the two species of sturgeon found in the Hudson River Estuary, and give an in-depth look at the Unit’s current work on Atlantic sturgeon. Presentation
Thursday, March 8, 2007Dan Shapley from the Poughkeepsie Journal spoke about the importance of local environmental reporting and how historic changes to the industry will shape the future coverage of the environment. |
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