Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program

New York City's municipal water supply system provides about 1 billion gallons of drinking water a day to over 8.5 million people in New York City and about 1 million people living in nearby Westchester, Putnam, Ulster, and Orange counties. The combined water supply system includes 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes with a total storage capacity of approximately 580 billion gallons. The city's Watershed Protection Program is intended to maintain and enhance the high quality of these surface water sources.Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program assesses the efficacy and future of New York City's watershed management activities. The report identifies program areas that may require future change or action, including continued efforts to address turbidity and responding to changes in reservoir water quality as a result of climate change.Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 The Land and the People - Ecological, Historical, and CulturalAntecedents3 New York City's Water Supply System: Past, Present, and Future4 Current Conditions, Trends, and Future Stressors5 Watershed Agricultural Program6 Stream Management Program7 Land Protection and Management Programs8 Wastewater Programs9 Stormwater Programs10 Ecosystem Protection and Management Programs11 Public Health Systems12 Understanding the Watershed: Monitoring, Assessment, andModeling13 Understanding and Assessing Community Vitality14 Frameworks for Balancing and Improved IntegrationAcronymsAppendix A: Technical Appendix on Trend AnalysisAppendix B: Critique and Suggestions Regarding Current WaterQuality Trend Reporting ApproachesAppendix C: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff