Croton River Compact
Unified Protection for the Whole Watershed
A 35-Year Dream We Can Make Happen
In 1972, residents in Croton, Cortlandt, Town of Ossining, and the Village of Ossining drafted a Compact for the five communities that share the Croton River from the Dam to the Hudson. Now the time for coordinated local action has come. Both New York State and Westchester County are making significant investments to protect estuaries and key water courses such as the 3.5 mile Croton River. We propose to create a new Croton Bay Watershed Compact that protects the Croton River and its entire watershed and work is well underway.
The county’s Croton Bay Watershed Report will be ready soon to document the baseline condition of watershed’s 3,000 acres. Several residents serve on its Steering Committee and have helped shape the County’s research with local knowledge. This initial Report is meant as a catalyst for the scope of work on actual improvements in the watershed. Much of the real work lies in untangling the local, county and state regulations that often talk past one another.
Our goal is a comprehensive watershed conservation plan, "The Croton Bay Watershed Compact," between the towns of Cortlandt, New Castle, Ossining and villages of Ossining and Croton-on-Hudson and the other non-municipal jurisdictions in the watershed. The result will be a healthy Croton River for future generations to enjoy. The Compact will reduce that crazy quilt of inconsistent laws with modern, more uniform land use standards for the estuary’s entire watershed. The underlying code will be based on a pollutant-loading model that will allow development while ensuring water quality, public access, ecosystem stability and biodiversity.
Action Items
We need the following information from the Cortlandt, New Castle, the Ossinings and Croton to complete the initial Watershed Report. You may be able to help provide this critical baseline information.
1. A list of the property owners and lot lines of those who are located within the Watershed;
2. A zoning map from each municipality showing the zoning districts for each such lot in the watershed;
3. A list of the relevant local laws and codes for steep slopes, watercourse protections and any other zoning provisions that apply to the zones found within the watershed for each municipality.
Information should be sent "Attention: Croton Bay Watershed Compact" to the address listed below.
We welcome your participation in the process of ensuring a healthy watershed and exploring the grounds for an intermunicipal compact.
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