ARKVILLE - Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) staff took the spotlight at the organization’s annual meeting held Tuesday, April 1, to highlight success stories from various 2024 programs. Election results for 2025 officers were also announced.
Overall, CWC disbursed a total of $5.9 million in loans, and $18.3 million in grants in 2024, CWC Executive Director Jason Merwin said.
Programs
In 2024, CWC Flood/Community Wastewater Program Manager John Mathiesen reported several large projects were completed, including a project in Halcottsville where 49 septic systems were decommissioned and instead, every residence was hooked into lateral lines that connect to a main line, bringing all solids and effluent through a four-mile force main to reach the Margaretville wastewater treatment plant, Mathiesen said.
Mathiesen, also the flood hazard mitigation program manager, highlighted multiple projects including a streambank stabilization project at Andes Central School in partnership with Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District. CWC provided $1.5 million in funding to purchase the stones used to stabilize the streambank, he explained, and helped Andes complete one of the most prioritized projects in the town’s local flood analysis plan.
Mathiesen also highlighted CWC’s tank anchoring program, and ongoing building projects.
Stormwater program
In 2024, between three stormwater programs, a total of $2.5 million in funding was approved for 28 projects, Program Manager Rachael Burger said. Of the funding, 77% was awarded in Greene County, 20% was awarded in Delaware County, 2% was awarded in Ulster County, and 1% was awarded in Schoharie County.
Delaware County projects, funded by CWC, included the construction of two Little League fields in Stamford by Catskill Mountain Little League, retention basins and ponds installed by Clark Companies at their new location in Delhi, development of an operation and maintenance plan for a previous project completed in Fleischmanns on Lake Street, and a rain garden at a residence in Andes. Overall, a total of 292 stormwater projects have been approved to date, with approximately $45.5 million in funding awarded, she reported.
Septic program
In 2024, CWC replaced 281 septic systems, Septic Program Manager Mitchell Hall said, bringing the total to over 7,000 replaced septic systems.
The septic program has three sub-programs: residential septic, expanded septic, and reimbursement programs. The residential septic program provides funding for homes and mixed commercial/residential buildings with a design flow of less than 1,000 gallons per day.
The expanded septic program provides funding to businesses, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations; in 2024, a total of 24 septic systems were replaced under the expanded program, Hall said.
For the reimbursement program, 2024 was a record-breaking year with 714 participants, Hall said, and over $180,000 in maintenance-related expenses reimbursed.
Septic program staff lowered the average replacement time once in 2024, reducing the average amount of days it takes from signing up for a septic replacement to final completion to 470 days, Hall said. Since 2019, when staff first started tracking replacement time, the average replacement time has been reduced by 349 days, Hall said, which he attributes to new rules put in place requiring homeowners to complete septic replacements within two years of signing up for the program.
In total, 7,060 septic systems have been repaired or replaced by CWC. At an average of 330 gallons per day, Hall calculated that the work done by CWC helps to properly treat 2.3 million gallons of septage each day - or 853.9 million gallons every year.
Economic Development program
The Catskill Fund for the Future is a self-sustaining fund established in 1997 from a $59.7 million appropriation, CWC Economic Development Director Barbara Puglisi said. In total, $115.5 million has been invested in 355 business loans, and $15 million in 95 grants and studies. There are 91 loans currently being serviced, Puglisi said.
Funding allocations to each county are based on population and land mass within the watershed, Puglisi said. Based on those guidelines, Delaware County receives 50.15% of the funding, Ulster County received 32.16%, Greene County receives 12.64%, Sullivan County receives 4.62%, and Schoharie County receives 0.44%.
In 2024, 12 loans totaling $5.9 million were awarded, she said. Delaware County loan recipients included Walton Big M for equipment maintenance and replacement, and building improvements, The Inn Between in Margaretville, Catskill Forest Association in Arkville, 1084 Main Street, Fleischmanns, Andes Studio LLC, Andes, Top Notch Tree Service, Margaretville, which used the loan to purchase land to house equipment, and the village of Walton to fund the replacement of two clarifiers in the wastewater treatment plant.
Public education program
A total of 37 grants totaling $197,000 were awarded in 2024 through CWC’s public education program, Program Manager Samantha Costa said.
The public education program is intended to educate students, the public audience, and residents/students of the five New York City boroughs through grant awards for watershed education, Costa explained. To be considered, grant applicants must explain how they will integrate the three themes of freshwater, the West of Hudson watershed, and the New York City water supply system into the program or activity funding is being requested for, she said.
Since 1997, the public education program has awarded over $4.1 million in funding, Costa said.
CWC’s public education program also hosts a stream cleanup in the spring to promote good stewardship, she said. In 2024, six cleanup groups participated with a total of 194 volunteers, Costa said.
Also discussed:
• CWC officers for 2025 include: President Tina Molé, First Vice President Richard Parete, Second Vice President Innes Kasanof, Third Vice President Christopher Mathews, Treasurer Art Merrill, and Secretary Alicia Terry.
