WHERE DOES MY WATER COME FROM?
Unraveling the Water Resources of Rockland County

Introduction - Legislator Ellen Jaffee

Paul M. Heisig, Hydrologist
U.S. Geological Survey

Paul Heisig has worked as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern New York and on Long Island since 1985. His work over this time has focused on: 1) the effects of point and non-point sources on ground-water quality and surface-water quality and 2) conceptualization of water resources in a variety of hydrogeologic settings in eastern New York.

Heisig earned Batchelor's and Master's degrees in geology at the State University of New York College at Genesco and Ohio State University, respectively.

Since 1930, Working with the Environment for a Better Future through conservation of natural resources, sound land use, clean air and water, proper drainage, energy conservation and preservation of natural beauty.

County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef has announced that Rockland County is ready to purchase 42 acres in the Town of Stony Point to forever preserve as county parkland. The property is located at the bottom of Lowland Hill, adjacent to the Lowland Hill Town Park. According to R. Allan Beers, Director of the Division of Environmental Resources, 95% of the parcel is wetlands. It is part of the greater Stony Point/Grassy Point Tidal Marsh adjacent to the Hudson River.

For many years, the Rockland County Environmental Management Council, the Rockland County Conservation Association, the West Branch Conservation Association and other environmentalists have worked to preserve this marsh. In the words of Diane Gruskin, Executive Director of the Rockland County Environmental Council, "It is an area of unsurpassed beauty, even though surrounded by development and industry."

Quoted from a writing by Jack Focht, now Director of Trailside Museum and Bear Mountain Zoo: "Vegetation zones ring the marsh. Its outer borders are rimmed with willows and smaller buffers of silky dogwood and alder. Masses of purple loosestrife, intermingled with tall meadow rue, swamp milkweed, water parsnip and halbred-leaved tearthumb, stretch out to the mud flats along the creek. A narrow strip of arrowhead and water plantain grow on these flats bordering areas of cattail, sedge and phragmites stalks. Long-billed marsh wrens, kingfishers, black ducks and great blue herons, plus profusions of butterflies are just some of its interesting inhabitants."

In 1973, William Malloy, at that time a member of the Stony Point Advisory Council, wrote, "There fresh water mingles with salt water day in and day out year after year giving rise to a unique environment. It is here that nature purifies itself, controls floods, provides nutrients that form part of the food chain leading up through fish and water fowl to man himself. Spawning grounds are here for certain species of fish and shell fish that eventually wind up in commercial fishing waters.

"With its location; its beauty, its need, with what it has to offer in so many ways it would be a tragic loss to our generation and those to come - not to save it."

ENGLEMANN'S ARROWHEAD

Two new Timber Rattlesnake dens have been identified in the Ramapo Highlands for this New York State Threatened Species. One den is in Montebello and the other in unincorporated Ramapo near Sloatsburg. Exact den locations are not revealed in order to safeguard the snakes. Rattlesnakes are symbolic of the wildness of the Ramapo Mountains, which are also a source of clean water recharge for the Primary Aquifer in the Ramapo and Mahwah River Valleys. If we save the wild habitat of the Timber Rattlesnake, we save a vital component of a regional public water supply and - hence save ourselves.

Are the New York Highlands less valuable than the New Jersey Highlands? If we value the Ramapo Mountains, the Hudson Highlands, the Croton watershed and the Fishkill Ridge, New York State should match - or better- the recent effort made in New Jersey with the passage of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act. Among other protections a 300 ft. buffer for all open water is required in the Highlands Preservation Area. In the meantime, the Town of Ramapo should consider any open space in the highlands for preservation and special zoning protection. The same should apply to the entire Villages of Sloatsburg and Hillburn and to the highland's areas of Montebello and Pomona in order to protect this "landscape of national significance".
Geoff Welch, Ramapo Director, the Rockland County Conservation Association

Rockland County is a place of intrigue and beauty that even Ulysses S. Grant couldn't resist. The beauty that we define as home lures many with hopeful dreams of enjoyment and wealth. The mountains, the rivers, the clay, the trees, and oh yes, the proximity to a major financial hub, New York City, all played a role in what shaped the growth of New York. But oh, that water...

History books teach us that the Erie Canal gave way to accelerated growth to New York Harbor as a major port. With that growth came all of the infrastructure needs. Improved sanitary codes, and an adequate water supply were key to meeting the symptoms of the growth and development. Seems like the more things change, the more things stay the same.

In 1835, a major fire destroyed much of downtown New York, a growing financial hub. Tragically, it was clear that there was a lack of available water to suppress the fire. Soon after to meet rebuilding and growth needs, the Croton Water System was completed in 1842. As an aside, Rockland's brickyards were busy making many of the needed bricks to rebuild downtown.

This development and growth required yet, more water. Insurance underwriters and investment bankers did not want to see their investments ablaze again. So they wanted to be certain that adequate fire suppression means were in place. Meanwhile, the city was greeted by the likes of Boss Tweed and others who wanted to share in the growing wealth of the city.

Now, just north of all this activity was the calm of the Ramapo Valley, with a river. Prompted by the urging of his son and named partner, ex-President Grant was a silent partner of an investment company known as Grant & Ward. They were part of a group that configured a deal to lay miles of pipe and supply 50,000,000 gallons per day of water from the Ramapo River, at a cost of $35,000,000. and a calculated profit of $17,000,000. Fortunately The Ramapo Water Project was blocked, but not without contributing to the collapse of Grant & Ward and Marine Bank. According to the New York Times May 8, 1884... "A banker who usually takes a conservative view of things said that he believed the failures were due to money advances made by Grant & Ward to persons having contracts with Government, and to the great shrinkage in the value of securities on which the firm had borrowed money with which to prosecute their work. The banker alluded to said that this portion of Grant & Ward's business had been very lucrative. Other Wall St. men said that the firm's method of doing business was a very peculiar one. They went into extensive operations and induced the co-operation of customers of large means by promising extraordinary profits. In other words, the firm is said to have carried on a system of "blind pool" operations, which in most instances were successful."'...

Imagine the fate of Rockland County's water supply if 50,000,000 gallons of water, per day were sent to New York City. It is evident that population growth demands engender different solutions to different people. We in Rockland know that our water demands and supply are peaking and focus on water must be at the nexus of determining the scope and balance of further development.

Dorice Madronero, 2nd VP