Rondout Neversink Stream Program

Call for applications! Do you have a research, education, or public outreach idea related to the Rondout or Neversink watersheds? Funding is available for a wide variety of projects focused on Catskill water resources. Since 2009, RNSP has provided educational and research grants to support the projects of local residents, educators, students, artists, community groups, townships, researchers and scientists. Past grant recipients include the Catskill Center, Arm of the Sea Th...eater, USGS, Time and the Valleys Museum, local graphic designers & artists, Tri Valley Central School District, and Sullivan BOCES just to name a few. Grant funding is available for projects that fit within the following categories: educational workshops, exhibits, school programs, educational media in all formats, and scientific research projects. The proposed project should focus on water quality principles including but not limited to: stream stability, local ecology/geology/water chemistry, riparian habitat improvement, sediment transport, flood hazard mitigation, and any recommended management practice listed in RNSP’s Stream Management Plans found on our website, www.rondoutneversink.org. If you’re interested in learning more about 2022 grant funding eligibility, please contact Haley Springston, Watershed Planning Coordinator, at [email protected]. You can also view our application guidelines on our website, under Resources. Help us spread the word! Repost, or tag an organization or individual who may benefit from grant funding in the comments below to help us connect with our 2022 Grant Projects. See more

Call for applications! Do you have a research, education, or public outreach idea related to the Rondout or Neversink watersheds? Funding is available for a wide variety of projects focused on Catskill water resources. Since 2009, RNSP has provided educational and research grants to support the projects of local residents, educators, students, artists, community groups, townships, researchers and scientists. Past grant recipients include the Catskill Center, Arm of the Sea Th...eater, USGS, Time and the Valleys Museum, local graphic designers & artists, Tri Valley Central School District, and Sullivan BOCES just to name a few. Grant funding is available for projects that fit within the following categories: educational workshops, exhibits, school programs, educational media in all formats, and scientific research projects. The proposed project should focus on water quality principles including but not limited to: stream stability, local ecology/geology/water chemistry, riparian habitat improvement, sediment transport, flood hazard mitigation, and any recommended management practice listed in RNSP’s Stream Management Plans found on our website, www.rondoutneversink.org. If you’re interested in learning more about 2022 grant funding eligibility, please contact Haley Springston, Watershed Planning Coordinator, at [email protected]. You can also view our application guidelines on our website, under Resources. Help us spread the word! Repost, or tag an organization or individual who may benefit from grant funding in the comments below to help us connect with our 2022 Grant Projects. See more

Have you noticed the yellow crane at the Rondout Reservoir? Construction is underway at the Rondout Reservoir, where the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) is preparing the infrastructure to manage larger releases of water. The Delaware Aqueduct, the underground tunnel that transports water from the Rondout Reservoir to under the Hudson River, will be closed for repairs for 5-8 months starting in October of 2022. This means that beginning in October of this ...year, the Rondout Reservoir will not outflow water through the Delaware Aqueduct. In anticipation of this shutdown, NYC DEP has begun work to prepare the Rondout Reservoir and the downstream area for managing larger releases of water. During the aqueduct shutdown, the Rondout Reservoir will no longer receive water supplied from the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink Reservoirs. It will only receive water from within its 95 square-mile watershed. 3 siphons will be installed at the Rondout Reservoir to support the management of water levels during the temporary Aqueduct shutdown. The siphons will improve the Reservoir’s ability to efficiently release water during the shutdown. The project is estimated to be completed by May/June of 2022. For more information on the Rondout Reservoir 2022 construction plans, visit the article published in NYC Water , written by @NYCWaterStaff. https://medium.com//major-prep-steps-begin-for-delaware-aq Follow NYC Water for continued watershed news. Photo by NYC Water See more

Photos from Sunday’s educational tour of the Neversink Reservoir. Comment below with any ideas/suggestions for future stream-related educational programs you’d like to see from RNSP! Email us at [email protected] to join our mailing list, and be the first to hear about upcoming events like this one !

Have you noticed the yellow crane at the Rondout Reservoir? Construction is underway at the Rondout Reservoir, where the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) is preparing the infrastructure to manage larger releases of water. The Delaware Aqueduct, the underground tunnel that transports water from the Rondout Reservoir to under the Hudson River, will be closed for repairs for 5-8 months starting in October of 2022. This means that beginning in October of this ...year, the Rondout Reservoir will not outflow water through the Delaware Aqueduct. In anticipation of this shutdown, NYC DEP has begun work to prepare the Rondout Reservoir and the downstream area for managing larger releases of water. During the aqueduct shutdown, the Rondout Reservoir will no longer receive water supplied from the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink Reservoirs. It will only receive water from within its 95 square-mile watershed. 3 siphons will be installed at the Rondout Reservoir to support the management of water levels during the temporary Aqueduct shutdown. The siphons will improve the Reservoir’s ability to efficiently release water during the shutdown. The project is estimated to be completed by May/June of 2022. For more information on the Rondout Reservoir 2022 construction plans, visit the article published in NYC Water , written by @NYCWaterStaff. https://medium.com//major-prep-steps-begin-for-delaware-aq Follow NYC Water for continued watershed news. Photo by NYC Water See more

What a great, sun-filled day to tour the Neversink Reservoir! RNSP would like to thank Bradley Boat Rentals , Town of Neversink Parks and Recreation Department, and the excellent lifeguard staff from Neversink Town Pool, for helping make this event such a success! Thank you to all the participants for joining us this Sunday and making the event such a fun experience! Stay tuned for more photos from Sunday's event! Comment below with any ideas/suggestions for future stream-re...lated outdoor programs, that you'd like to see from RNSP! Want to be the first to hear about future events? Email us at [email protected] to join our mailing list, and be first in line to sign up for future events!

Photos from Sunday’s educational tour of the Neversink Reservoir. Comment below with any ideas/suggestions for future stream-related educational programs you’d like to see from RNSP! Email us at [email protected] to join our mailing list, and be the first to hear about upcoming events like this one !

A glimpse into RNSP’s upcoming kayaking tour. Join us on Sunday, July 25th to kayak the Neversink Reservoir and learn about local fauna, flora, geologic history, stream management practices and more ! Beginner kayakers welcomed! The event includes free kayaking lessons for participants at the Neversink Town Pool. Event hosted in partnership with Town of Neversink Parks and Recreation Department Still a few spots left! Email Cher at [email protected] to sign up today! I...sn’t the Neversink Reservoir beautiful? #neversink #neversinkreservoir #rnsp #catskills #catskillsny #kayakingadventures

What a great, sun-filled day to tour the Neversink Reservoir! RNSP would like to thank Bradley Boat Rentals , Town of Neversink Parks and Recreation Department, and the excellent lifeguard staff from Neversink Town Pool, for helping make this event such a success! Thank you to all the participants for joining us this Sunday and making the event such a fun experience! Stay tuned for more photos from Sunday's event! Comment below with any ideas/suggestions for future stream-re...lated outdoor programs, that you'd like to see from RNSP! Want to be the first to hear about future events? Email us at [email protected] to join our mailing list, and be first in line to sign up for future events!

A glimpse into RNSP’s upcoming kayaking tour. Join us on Sunday, July 25th to kayak the Neversink Reservoir and learn about local fauna, flora, geologic history, stream management practices and more ! Beginner kayakers welcomed! The event includes free kayaking lessons for participants at the Neversink Town Pool. Event hosted in partnership with Town of Neversink Parks and Recreation Department Still a few spots left! Email Cher at [email protected] to sign up today! I...sn’t the Neversink Reservoir beautiful? #neversink #neversinkreservoir #rnsp #catskills #catskillsny #kayakingadventures

Join us for a free day of kayaking lessons and a kayaking tour of the Neversink Reservoir! Registrations are still open for residents of Neversink and members of Tri-Valley Central School District ! Contact Cher at [email protected] to sign up!

Join us for a free day of kayaking lessons and a kayaking tour of the Neversink Reservoir! Registrations are still open for residents of Neversink and members of Tri-Valley Central School District ! Contact Cher at [email protected] to sign up!

Summer is just around the corner!

Summer is just around the corner!

Spring growth on the 13 serviceberry trees across the Rte 55 CSBI planting along Chestnut Creek. Planting serviceberry in your outdoor space, is a simple action you can take to support your local birds and pollinators. Serviceberry trees are a Catskill native species. Mature serviceberry trees produce clusters of edible purple berries. Bluebirds, goldfinches, orioles, tanagers, chickadees and juncos all enjoy serviceberry fruit. Chipmunks and foxes also love snacking on s...erviceberry fruit. Butterflies, such as the spring azure, utilize serviceberry nectar. RNSP installed the Rte 55 planting last year with (huge) help from DEP staff. The 13 serviceberry trees along with 10 white spruce trees will continue to grow, offering added soil stability along the top of the stream bank. Have a question about our CSBI program? Message us on Facebook or Instagram, or send us an email at [email protected] to see if your property is eligible for a planting project!

Freshly budding willows along Red Brook. These bundles of willows, a.k.a. fascines, were installed by RNSP last fall, while the willows were dormant. This spring, these growing willows are beginning to root into and strengthen the stream bank. #bioengineering #willow #streamrestoration #riparianbuffer #RNSP

Spring growth on the 13 serviceberry trees across the Rte 55 CSBI planting along Chestnut Creek. Planting serviceberry in your outdoor space, is a simple action you can take to support your local birds and pollinators. Serviceberry trees are a Catskill native species. Mature serviceberry trees produce clusters of edible purple berries. Bluebirds, goldfinches, orioles, tanagers, chickadees and juncos all enjoy serviceberry fruit. Chipmunks and foxes also love snacking on s...erviceberry fruit. Butterflies, such as the spring azure, utilize serviceberry nectar. RNSP installed the Rte 55 planting last year with (huge) help from DEP staff. The 13 serviceberry trees along with 10 white spruce trees will continue to grow, offering added soil stability along the top of the stream bank. Have a question about our CSBI program? Message us on Facebook or Instagram, or send us an email at [email protected] to see if your property is eligible for a planting project!

Freshly budding willows along Red Brook. These bundles of willows, a.k.a. fascines, were installed by RNSP last fall, while the willows were dormant. This spring, these growing willows are beginning to root into and strengthen the stream bank. #bioengineering #willow #streamrestoration #riparianbuffer #RNSP

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Thomas Rhindress Two great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) fledglings drying out after a September rain storm. Photographed along the lower Rondout Creek in High Falls, NY. The owls hatched sometime in February 2020 and spent the summer growing up on and around our property. I did watch one catching and feeding on crayfish for 30 minutes one afternoon.- Thomas Rhindress Great horned owl fledglings are fed by both their parents during ...their first few months of life. Mature great horned owls are aggressive, powerful hunters, preferring to hunt at night. This photo was taken along the lower section of the Rondout Creek, which is outside the bounds of RNSP program support. However, wildlife species, like waterways, often disregard human-drawn boundaries during their travels. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #rondout #greathornedowl #RNSP #rondoutcreek

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Rhonda Fox A barred owl (Strix varia) rests under tree cover along the Neversink River near Hunter Road. Barred owls prefer dense wooded areas often near rivers or marshy areas. Barred owls are selective, but lazy house hunters. These owls often look at many trees before selecting a nesting site, but are lazy when it comes time to build their nest. They prefer to use a pre-built abandoned nest, or simply use an existing tree hollow as ...their nest. You can support your local barred owl populations by placing a nest box in your backyard. Place the nest box in a high standing tree, sometime in February, well before breeding season begins. Check out nestwatch.org for video tutorials on selecting the perfect bird box for your local species. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #catskills #barredowl #RNSP #claryville #neversink

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Thomas Rhindress Two great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) fledglings drying out after a September rain storm. Photographed along the lower Rondout Creek in High Falls, NY. The owls hatched sometime in February 2020 and spent the summer growing up on and around our property. I did watch one catching and feeding on crayfish for 30 minutes one afternoon.- Thomas Rhindress Great horned owl fledglings are fed by both their parents during ...their first few months of life. Mature great horned owls are aggressive, powerful hunters, preferring to hunt at night. This photo was taken along the lower section of the Rondout Creek, which is outside the bounds of RNSP program support. However, wildlife species, like waterways, often disregard human-drawn boundaries during their travels. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #rondout #greathornedowl #RNSP #rondoutcreek

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Rhonda Fox A barred owl (Strix varia) rests under tree cover along the Neversink River near Hunter Road. Barred owls prefer dense wooded areas often near rivers or marshy areas. Barred owls are selective, but lazy house hunters. These owls often look at many trees before selecting a nesting site, but are lazy when it comes time to build their nest. They prefer to use a pre-built abandoned nest, or simply use an existing tree hollow as ...their nest. You can support your local barred owl populations by placing a nest box in your backyard. Place the nest box in a high standing tree, sometime in February, well before breeding season begins. Check out nestwatch.org for video tutorials on selecting the perfect bird box for your local species. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #catskills #barredowl #RNSP #claryville #neversink

Freshly budding willows along Red Brook. These bundles of willows, a.k.a. fascines, were installed by RNSP last fall, while the willows were dormant. This spring, these growing willows are beginning to root into and strengthen the stream bank. #bioengineering #willow #streamrestoration #riparianbuffer #RNSP

Warmer days are ahead! Get your bareroot plant order in by March 15th! Contact our main office with any questions 845-292-6552. http://www.sullivanswcd.org/tree-shrub-program/

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Thomas Rhindress Two great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) fledglings drying out after a September rain storm. Photographed along the lower Rondout Creek in High Falls, NY. The owls hatched sometime in February 2020 and spent the summer growing up on and around our property. I did watch one catching and feeding on crayfish for 30 minutes one afternoon.- Thomas Rhindress Great horned owl fledglings are fed by both their parents during ...their first few months of life. Mature great horned owls are aggressive, powerful hunters, preferring to hunt at night. This photo was taken along the lower section of the Rondout Creek, which is outside the bounds of RNSP program support. However, wildlife species, like waterways, often disregard human-drawn boundaries during their travels. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #rondout #greathornedowl #RNSP #rondoutcreek

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Rhonda Fox A barred owl (Strix varia) rests under tree cover along the Neversink River near Hunter Road. Barred owls prefer dense wooded areas often near rivers or marshy areas. Barred owls are selective, but lazy house hunters. These owls often look at many trees before selecting a nesting site, but are lazy when it comes time to build their nest. They prefer to use a pre-built abandoned nest, or simply use an existing tree hollow as ...their nest. You can support your local barred owl populations by placing a nest box in your backyard. Place the nest box in a high standing tree, sometime in February, well before breeding season begins. Check out nestwatch.org for video tutorials on selecting the perfect bird box for your local species. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #catskills #barredowl #RNSP #claryville #neversink

Photos submitted by Rhonda Fox A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) launches from its perch, soaring above the West Branch of the Neversink River along Frost Valley Rd. Bald eagles are often spotted near wooded areas close to rivers, streams or reservoirs. Bald eagles rely on tall, stream-side trees for roosting, nesting, and hunting. They use tree branches as perching points while they search for fish, small mammals, or carrion along the waterways. ... Due to conservation policy, North American bald eagle populations have improved in recent years. Ongoing environmental protection policies must be maintained in order to preserve the bald eagle’s current survival rate in the Catskills. Preserving trees along Catskill waterways is one of the ways you can help support your local eagle populations. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #catskills #baldeagle #RNSP #claryville #neversink

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by John Kocijanski A Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) perches under tree cover alongside the Neversink River. Kingfishers often let loose a rattling call as they fly over rivers and streams. Kingfishers will dive headfirst into streams and rivers, catching small fish in their bill. This unique bird burrows into sandy stream banks, digging a long horizontal tunnel into the bank, which leads to its underground nesting chamber. Belted ...Kingfishers rely on healthy waterways and stable stream banks. Recent surveys suggest a decline in kingfisher populations. You can support kingfisher populations by avoiding interaction with their nesting young and reducing human disturbance along stream banks. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #catskills #kingfisher #RNSP #neversink

Watershed wildlife photo submitted by Rhonda Fox Pictured is a young Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) foraging for food along the main stem of the Neversink River in Claryville. Great Blue Herons prefer to hunt in rivers with calm waters, standing still in shallow waters, waiting for their food to come to them. Their diet is highly adaptable, mainly consuming fish, but also eating insects, snakes, rodents, and other riparian species. The wide and lush streamside vegetati...on, pictured here, supports the heron’s food supply and provides building materials for the heron’s nests. Keeping local flood plains filled with native, diverse, wild vegetation, is key for supporting local Great Blue Heron populations. Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #watershed #wildlife #catskills #heron #RNSP #claryville #neversink

American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) tree trunks chewed by beavers along Rondout Creek in Fall 2020. The North American beaver (Castor canadensis), a native species to the Catskill Region, does not hibernate in the winter. North American beavers stock up on food supply before winter hits. They often store felled trees in mud piles next to their lodges, for easy-access snacking during snowy Catskill winters. Have you spotted any watershed wildlife along the Rondout or Nev...ersink waterways? Share your best #watershedwildlife photos with us, send us a message or email us at [email protected] to have your photo featured by RNSP. #rondout #rondoutcreek #wildlife #watershedwildlife #winterstreams #RNSP