$400K Helps Save The Sound Expand Hutchinson Watershed Plan Downriver

LONG ISLAND SOUND, NY — State money will help grow a plan to protect and restore the Long Island Sound where it matters the most.

Save the Sound announced on Monday that New York State has awarded the non-profit environmental organization $400,000 to develop watershed management for the Hutchinson River, as part of the a larger effort to clean up parts of the river that flow into the Long Island Sound. The funding request was put in motion by Assembly Member Michael Benedetto, whose district includes parts of the Bronx that are right over the Westchester County/Bronx border.

Save the Sound is already federally funded to develop a U.S. EPA 9E watershed plan for the portion of the Hutchinson River watershed located in Westchester County. The new NYS funding will allow the continuation of the watershed plan into the Bronx portion of the watershed.

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The Hutchinson River has long been degraded by dense urban development that has stripped the riparian habitat and disconnected natural floodplains and wetlands, according to Save the Sound. Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces can carry polluted stormwater, combined with raw and partially treated sewage, into the river causing significant ecological damage and risks to human health.

All parts of the lower Hutchinson River are currently listed on NYS's 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies.

"The Hutchinson River, also known as Aquacanounck in the Munsee language, is an important ecological gem that deserves thoughtful restoration after decades of neglect," said Katie Friedman, New York ecological restoration program manager for Save the Sound. "By developing a watershed management plan, we will gain a better understanding of the River’s existing conditions and the goals of communities along its banks, to produce a roadmap for collectively improving the Hutchinson River’s water quality, flood resiliency, and ecological habitat. We thank Assemblyman Benedetto for securing this funding that will improve conditions for Bronx residents and local ecosystems alike, and we look forward to collaborating closely with the Hutchinson River Restoration Project, City Island Oyster Reef, NYC Parks, and other stakeholders."

Save the Sound says that it will work closely with those local stakeholders in order to develop the watershed plan for the lower part of the Hutchinson River watershed, following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nine-element plan (9E) approach. They will incorporate components of resilience and flood planning based on FEMA's floodplain mapping and hydrologic analysis. Watershed planning will provide a "blueprint" for future restoration of the river by prioritizing activities that will reduce impairments and improve the water quality.

The goal of future restoration projects will be to restore the health of the Hutchinson River and its tributaries so that they can eventually be removed from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's list of impaired waterbodies. This big job will be accomplished through water quality improvements, nature-basd flood resiliency and green infrastructure projects, and improved policies benefitting communities.