This page is a repository of watershed related materials: plans, studies, resident guides etc. Please come back to check on new resources made available.

Microplastics Pollution Status in a Tributary of the Hudson River: Fishkill Creek

This study by Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries provides a comprehensive analysis of microplastic pollution in Fishkill Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River, for two seasons (fall and spring) with the valuable assistance of K-12 students in sample collection from three distinct sites, Sarah Taylor Park, Doug Phillips Park, and Hopewell Recreation Beach in Fishkill, NY. The investigation encompassed the collection and analysis of water, bed load, and suspended sediment load samples to determine the abundance and distribution of microplastics in a creek system as well as to determine the relationship between microplastic concentration and the creek flow rate. Physical and chemical properties of the microplastic samples were characterized, including size, shape, color, and polymer type. These findings underscore the pressing need for mitigation strategies to address microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Study can be accessed here

Watershed Characterization to Enhance Student Learning and Build Capacity for Community-Led Watershed Planning and Management - Fishkill Creek.

Case Studies in the Environment peer-reviewed journal

By Katherine Meierdiercks Corresponding Author, Emily Vail, Charles Gaffney, Sergei Krasikov, Asher Pacht

The case study describes the importance of watershed characterization, the value of completing the work through academic-community partnerships, and the role of expertise and specialized knowledge in capacity building and ensuring successful outcomes. The case study appendices provide resources to enable students to complete their own watershed characterization maps for summer research, a group course project, or as a guided independent study. Study can be accessed here

Summer 2024 GIS Maps

This set of maps were made by a Siena College grad student over the summer of 2024. This set includes over a dozen maps including Watershed Boundaries, Recreation, Significant Habitats among others. Please note that we are still working on statistical analysis of the maps. Maps can be accessed here.

2004 Natural Resource Management Plan for Fishkill Creek Watershed

In the early 2000s, a volunteer group named Fishkill Creek Watershed Association in partnership with the Dutchess County Environmental Management Council inventoried the natural resources of the stream and watershed to produce a natural resource management plan. The plan provides a wealth of information on various aspects of the watershed health, pulls together various studies, provides a set of recommendations for the municipalities including protecting groundwater, which many residents surveyed had expressed the greatest level of concern about. The group ceased to exist in mid 2000s but some of its members are advising our alliance. Plan can be accessed here.

DEC Stream Buffer booklet

Short but informative DEC Stream Buffers: A Tool for Watershed Protection booklet provides foundational information on importance of healthy riparian buffers - vegetative areas on either side of the stream that help keep temperature cool, filter storm water run off, prevent erosion and provide vital habitat resources. Booklet can be accessed here.