The Indian Brook-Croton Gorge Watershed Conservation Action Plan is a compre-hensive watershed plan developed for the Croton Bay Watershed, which consists of the Croton Gorge and Indian Brook subwatersheds (see map on right). The final plan was completed in November 2007. The Westchester County Department of Planning produced the report in close collaboration with the towns of Cortlandt, New Castle, Ossining and the villages of Croton-on-Hudson and Ossining. Additional support and funding was provided by the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The five major goals for the plan are:
- Protecting and restoring the natural resources, most significantly the Croton River, Indian Brook Reservoir, existing wetlands and groundwater drinking sources
- Developing and implementing stormwater management practices that will improve water quality
- Promoting sustainable development through land use and environmental regulations
- Preserving and protecting fish, wildlife and significant habitat
- Educating the public
The report assesses the unique conditions in the watershed, identifies water quality impacts and presents strategies to reduce adverse impacts and prevent future water quality degradation. It also details recommendations to promote sustainable development and protect biodiversity in the watershed.
The county will be working with the watershed community partners to develop an Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA) that will establish a process to implement key recommendations of the plan. It will serve as a model for other watersheds in the county to ensure plan implementation after the planning process is complete.
To learn more about what this plan entails, we encourage you to read it. To view or print these PDF-formatted files, download and install the free Adobe Reader.