Persistent Flooding in Northern Westchester Watersheds to be Addressed

The Westchester Board of Legislators approved Stormwater Reconnaissance Plans for the Croton River and inland Long Island Sound watersheds on Sept. 8.

Approval of the plans was an essential step to compliance with the county’s Storm Water Management Law, adopted in 2011.

“With these two reconnaissance plans in hand, town and municipal officials in some of Westchester’s most flooding prone areas can start planning specific projects to mitigate flooding,” Legislator Pete Harckham (D-North Salem), chair of the BOL Labor, Parks, Planning & Housing Committee, and also one of the co-sponsors of the original stormwater legislation, said in a press release.

The cost of flood mitigation projects initiated by the municipalities under these plans will be shared equally with the county.

The Croton River Reconnaissance Plan covers 183 square-miles of watershed, the largest in Westchester, some which drains directly into the Croton River but also includes a number of smaller watersheds, streams and stormwater drains. The watershed stretches across all of the northern towns of the County—the Towns of Yorktown, Somers and North Salem in their entirety, and parts of Cortlandt, Lewisboro, New Castle, Bedford and Pound Ridge—plus the municipality of Mount Kisco, according to county officials.

The Inland Long Island Sound Reconnaissance Plan covers 45 square-miles of watershed—the second smallest in Westchester—which drains toward the Long Island Sound through Connecticut. It includes parts of four Westchester Towns—Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, Bedford, New Castle and North Castle.

The most flood prone areas in the Croton River and Inland Long Island Sound watersheds will be eligible for improvements, said Harckham. Some projects in the two approved Reconnaissance Plans, like water detention basins and rain gardens, stand as effective measures for flood mitigation, and can be enacted by municipalities right away.

“The county has seen an increased number of flooding problems in the last few years because of heavy downpours and snowfalls,” said BOL Majority Leader Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining) in the same press release. “Stormwater problems have caused millions of dollars of damages throughout the county and made roadways impassable. Now, with data collected from the municipalities in these watersheds, we can move forward and prioritize what projects will have the most benefit for our residents and business owners.”