Karen Roberts, Cablevision
News:
The not-for-profit Fishkill Watershed Committee found over a
hundred problems as a result of their stream walk this summer.
Bigger
issues such as
garbage contamination to erosion top the
list of complaints. But, even in the
best parts of the creek, they
say there's still problems.
Looking at this beautiful scene,
you might not be able to see the problems in this
section of Fishkill Creek. But, according to the Watershed, there are.
Rick Oestrike, Chairman, Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee:
Some of the findings are, in this area, in the upper part of the
Fishkill Creek, generally the stream is in pretty good shape
with some problems,
some
issues. For
example, erosion is
a significant problem all along the creek.
Roberts: This summer, 37
volunteers went to 55 sites and found problems in the 32-mile
Fishkill Creek.
The top offenders: erosion, diminished vegetation, litter, pipe
discharge,
and dam impoundment.
Oestrike: Vegetation
actually holds the stream bank in place. It slows down erosion.
It also shades the stream, which is important for trout. Trout actually
can't live
in warm water. And also the roots of these trees and large shrubs
actually remove a
common pollutant that is in the water; and that's nitrate.
Roberts: Melanie Falick was
one of those volunteers. She lives in this house and
says bank erosion and development cause flooding in her yard on a
regular basis.
Melanie Falick, East Fishkill: Oh well, there's water
everywhere. And fortunately our house is built high
enough that it doesn't go into the house. But,
you
know, we'll have ducks in the yard. There's water
everywhere.
Roberts: She says the development in surrounding areas and
debris falling into the
creek cause overflowing banks and flooding for people like her, and
says even
though she moved here six years ago to get away from overdevelopment,
it's crept into
her back yard.
Falick: I do feel like
there's, the development is a bit out of control in this area;
and a lot of people are wanting to move here; and developers are
wanting to make a
lot of money from that; and I don't think they spend a lot of time
pondering what's
happening with the water and the effect of what they're doing.
Roberts: Both feel that
residents and developers need to understand the connection
of the water to land, for environmental and financial reasons.
Oestrike: The general
idea is to protect the watershed. Let me just point out that
there's good environmental reasons for doing that. But there are also
practical
reasons. When you have a homeowner like this, near the creek,
protecting the creek
also protects their property values. If the creek is degraded, their
property values
are going to drop.
Falick: I've just
become more respectful of how what I do here could be affecting the
next person down the line. And it would be nice if everybody thought
that way, whether
it's about the creek or about something else.
Roberts: The Fishkill
Watershed Committee is planning an environmental education
program for local schools.
