Black River Watershed Plan to be unveiled today
CROGHAN — The final Black River Watershed Management Plan will be unveiled this afternoon.
The Black River is "being used more and more for recreation, so we want to protect the resource and be able to use it to its fullest," said Nichelle L. Billhardt, manager for the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District.
A presentation on the plan will be held at 4 p.m. at the American Maple Museum, Main Street, followed by a question-and-answer session with members of consulting firm Bergmann Associates, Roch-
ester, and local planning committee members.
"It's not a regulatory document," Mrs. Billhardt said of the management plan. "It's a resource for communities to use."
The intent of the plan is to compile information about the complete watershed, identify land use resources and help set priorities for projects that would improve the Black River's overall water quality, she said.
"There is all sorts of funding out there," Mrs. Billhardt said. "But if you don't have a plan, you can't go for that funding."
Lewis County Soil and Water has served as project manager for the four-year-old plan development, while the town of Greig is the sponsoring municipality. The Tug Hill Commission and state Department of Environmental Conservation also worked with the district on the project.
Plan development was funded primarily through the state Department of State with assistance from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Beaver River/Black River Advisory Council and member items obtained through state Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, R-Rome.
The Black River watershed encompasses 1.2 million acres in Lewis, Jefferson, Herkimer, Oneida and Hamilton counties, including the city of Watertown, 37 towns and 18 villages.
Mrs. Billhardt said it initially was difficult to gain support from communities in the heart of the Adirondack Park because they "don't associate themselves with the Black River." However, those municipalities were brought on board through outreach sessions there, she said.
A memorandum of understanding, indicating a willingness to share information and work collectively to protect and restore Black River water quality, has been signed by 17 of the 56 municipalities. They are the towns of Greig, Harrisburg, Inlet, Martinsburg, Montague, Morehouse, Leyden, Rutland and West Turin and the villages of Constableville, Dexter, Glen Park, Lowville, Port Leyden, Speculator, Turin and West Carthage.
Other municipalities may sign on at any time, Mrs. Billhardt said.
Those who attend today's session will be invited to take a self-guided tour of the Maple Museum afterward. A gallon of Lewis County maple syrup will be given out as a door prize.
