To celebrate Lower Esopus Creek Day, the Saugerties Public Library will host educational activities for children featuring fish puppets and word crafts at the Saugerties Farmers Market (115 Main Street) from 10 AM to 2 PM, led by Jill Olesker of the Water Stories Project.
At 1 PM in the library (91 Washington Avenue), Ben Gannon of the Ulster County Department of the Environment will discuss the Lower Esopus Management Plan. A great way to learn about the creek!
Jill Olesker of the Water Stories Project will be facilitating an event in the backyard of the Saugerties Public Library on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:45PM. Bring stories to share about life along the Esopus Creek. Come to listen too! This is a family event that will include a campfire.
Who: Jill Olesker, Water Stories Project
What: Esopus Creek Story Sharing around a campfire for families
Where: Saugerties Public Library backyard
When: May 15th, 7:45 PM (Rain date: May 22nd)
Share your thoughts and discuss upcoming plans!
When: March 28th at 6:00PM
Where: Town of Ulster Senior Center, 1 Town Hall Drive
Lake Katrine, NY 12449
How: Please register via Eventbrite to attend in-person or online.
This forum aims to gather your valuable feedback on future projects for the Lower Esopus Creek. Two million dollars in funding is available to support these projects, and your input will help guide which projects these funds will support. Ulster County, along with consultants and an advisory council, has integrated insights from the summer outdoor and winter indoor workshops, public survey, stream assessment and resulting stream management plan. A draft list has been prepared of priority projects that will improve the health of the Creek. This latest input session presents another opportunity learn about the plan and to contribute to the future of the Creek.
December 5th, 2023
Join Ulster County for a community walkshop—a walking workshop—at the Marbletown Town Park to discuss the Stream Management Plan for the Lower Esopus Creek. Share your thoughts and input to help shape the Plan, which will be a guide to protect and enhance the creek.
WHERE: MARBLETOWN TOWN PARK
350 Tongore Road, Kingston, NY 12401
WHEN: THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 10:30-11:30 AM
Rain or shine
(in case of severe inclement weather the event will be held on Thursday, September 7)
Please register in advance (recommended but not required)
The deadline for the Lower Esopus Stream Management Plan Survey has been extended to Monday, July 17th.
The public survey is available here: https://loweresopussmp-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/pages/survey
We invite you to take a survey to help shape our community’s vision for the lower Esopus Creek. Take the online survey and offer your views on issues like recreational access, natural habitats, and educational opportunities. Ulster County and an advisory council of local organizations are collaborating on a Stream Management Plan for the Lower Esopus. Public input is an important part of the planning process. The public survey is available here: https://loweresopussmp-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/pages/survey
For reference, here is an interactive map of the lower Esopus Creek: https://loweresopussmp-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/ulstercounty::lower-esopus-mainstem/explore
DEP and towns along the lower Esopus Creek will co-host a public information session on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. The meeting will happen at the Frank D. Greco Memorial Senior Center in Saugerties, at 207 Market Street. DEP will share information about Ashokan Reservoir, its operations during the ongoing Catskill Aqueduct shutdown, and an overview of the rules that currently govern releases from the reservoir. Those in attendance will also learn about helpful tools for creekside residents, including real-time gage data that can be found online.
Registration is required for in-person attendance at the senior center. You can register at the following link: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=zl6cbwuab&oeidk=a07eisnopqi82676906
The info session will be broadcast live online for those who want watch but cannot attend in person. The following link will take you to the broadcast on the night of the meeting: https://cantineveteranscomplex.webex.com/cantineveteranscomplex/j.php?MTID=mdb23091ef19fbeb0854eb25ed50201af
A second public hearing on the permit application and the Draft EIS, including Ashokan Reservoir operations and releases, will be held at 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, through the Webex Events electronic webinar platform. For instructions for attending the hearing, visit: https://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/122281.html
The deadline for written comments has been extended to June 16, 2021. All interested parties may submit written comment concerning the Draft EIS and permit applications to the DEC Contact Person listed below by June 16, 2021. Comments sent by regular mail must be postmarked no later than June 16, 2021. E-mail comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. June 16, 2021.
DEC CONTACT PERSON: Kristen Cady-Poulin, Environmental Analyst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, Phone: 518-402-9167, E-mail:Â DEPPermitting@dec.ny.gov
For more information, please visit the DEC website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/122281.html
Kayak Tour of the Tidal Lower Esopus
9/14 11AM; Saugerties
Riverkeeper and the Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership are hosting a kayak tour of the tidal Lower Esopus in Saugerties to share information about the natural history and environmental issues facing the creek. Tour guides include Riverkeeper’s Kate Hudson, and Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership’s Mary McNamara. The tour will include the tidal Lower Esopus creek, and lunch on the grounds of the Saugerties Lighthouse (note: the lighthouse will not be open to the public that day). The tour is suitable for those who have experience in a kayak. Participants may bring their own kayak or canoe, or rent one from I Paddle New York. Space is limited. RSVP required to Dan Shapley at dshapley@riverkeeper.org. Pack a lunch, water and sun protection. Meet at Tina Chorvas Park in Saugerties, NY.
Kayak Tour, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve
9/21 9AM; Saugerties
Esopus Creek Conservancy is sponsoring a guided kayak and canoe tour of Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in conjunction with the annual Ulster County Creek Week. Participants will paddle the tranquil waters of the Esopus Creek above the dam in Saugerties, visiting the coves and wetlands of Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, and the shoreline to the south. Meet 9AM. at the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Participants will put-in at the beach. Bring your own kayak or canoe. All participants MUST wear a personal floatation device (life vest). Rain or thunderstorms will cancel the paddle. Children are welcome and encouraged if accompanied by a responsible adult, but please do not bring pets. Pre-registration is required. This ECC Environmental Education paddle is free and open to the public, but limited to a maximum of ten watercraft. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org. Contact the paddle leader, Steve Hart (kayak642000@yahoo.com) to register, or for additional information.
Kids Fishing Day at the Ashokan Reservoir
9/22 9AM – 2PM; Ashokan Reservoir in West Hurley
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection and state Department of Environmental Conservation will host a fishing event for children and their parents. Poles and bait will be supplied, but feel free to bring your own. As part of the state’s “I Fish NY Program,†the New York State fishing license requirement is waived for adults who want to fish during this event. Come and relax, bond with your children, and enjoy the beautiful scenery and fantastic fishing the Ashokan Reservoir has to offer! DEP and DEC staff will be available to teach participants how to fish and assist as needed. If adults don’t have a free DEP Access Permit, applications will be available at the event or they can be obtained online anytime at:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/recreation/access.shtml. The free event will be held at the Woodstock Dike on the Ashokan Reservoir. A parking lot is located on a gravel road off Route 28, just east of the West Hurley Post Office. For more information on the event, you may contact DEP at 845-340-7873.
See full listing of Ulster County’s Annual Creek Week: http://ucenvironment.org/ulster-county-creek-week/