The Alliance for the Upper Delaware River Watershed is sponsoring a petition drive for New York State support of the Delaware Watershed.
About one-fifth of the Delaware River Watershed lies within New York State, mostly in Delaware and Sullivan counties, and small portions of Broome, Orange and Ulster counties. Approximately 50% of the daily water supply needs of New York City and surrounding counties comes from three large reservoirs located in the upper Delaware River watershed. While NYC invests significantly to protect water quality in its reservoirs, the “tailwaters” region just below the reservoirs has historically been overlooked and underfunded.
New York’s Upper Delaware River tailwaters below the NYC dams is one of New York State’s outstanding outdoor recreational areas. From paddling to hiking to fishing to hunting, this region of the state relies heavily on ecotourism to support its local economies. These industries also contribute to the state’s economy, generating $3.5 billion annually.
The petition can be found at greenactions.org.
The petition is organized by:
New York League of Conservation Voters
Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
Friends of the Upper Delaware River
NYenvironcom