The Fall Kill Creek Planning Project |Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

The Fall Kill Creek Planning Project

The Fall Kill Creek Planning Project brings together Poughkeepsie advocates and residents, designers and engineers to transform the creek into a vibrant community resource. This study will create a Master Plan for a walkable green corridor and designs for selected pilot sites along urban stretches of the waterway in the City of Poughkeepsie. The master plan will outline a phased, long-term vision for the creek ranging from the scale of city-wide infrastructures to a homeowner’s backyard. Pilot sites designs, technical documentation, and cost assessments will be readied for submission to potential funding sources, with the goal of having these sites constructed in the near future.

This study aims to provide public waterfront access, bridge connections with neighborhood centers, and improve water quality and habitat using green infrastructure practices. Working with community centers and residents, the project will explore how increased access to the creek can best support social and economic interests of the city’s residents, and provide needed public spaces that can activate adjacent neighborhoods. Green infrastructure practices, such as the installation of rain gardens, rainbarrels, porous pavement and vegetated swales, will be examined for their potential to manage stormwater runoff and reduce untreated inputs into the Fall Kill.

The Fall Kill needs your vision. Community organizations, city leaders, and residents are central to this study, and are invited at every step of the process to contribute their knowledge and envision potentials for the creek.

The Fall Kill Watershed is located entirely in Dutchess County and encompasses five municipalities: the Towns of Clinton, Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley, Poughkeepsie and the City of Poughkeepsie. The Fall Kill Creek, which runs through the city, will become a valuable community asset through the Fall Kill Restoration Plan, which will provide ecosystem services while also providing green space and recreational opportunities for City residents. Until recently, the Fall Kill Creek has a history of being ignored, used as a dumping ground, or used as the setting for unlawful activity such as drug trafficking. However, awareness is growing and the potential for the creek to become an asset to city residents and surrounding community is being realized. A healthy Fall Kill is the result of proper stewardship of the surrounding land, which, in turn, increases the quality of life for those living within the watershed.

The Fall Kill Watershed Committee is an independent community-led coalition, coordinated by Clearwater, dedicated to revitalizing the creek.

The work, part of a continuing project to improve the Fall Kill Creek, is funded through a recently awarded $52,500 to Clearwater from the Hudson River Estuary Grant from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Hudson River Estuary grants are supported through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. Hudson River Estuary Grants are awarded each year to help local municipalities and non-profits achieve the goals of the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, the state’s blueprint for protecting and revitalizing the Hudson River and its valley. More information about the Hudson River Estuary Program and the Action Agenda can be found on the web site at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html.

The Fall Kill Watershed Committee, formed in 2002, is is an independent community-led coalition, coordinated by Clearwater, dedicated to revitalizing the creek and made up of community groups, educational institutions, and interested community individuals living and working in the Fall Kill watershed. The Committee concentrates on protection and revitalization of the historic Fall Kill Creek and its surrounding watershed.

The Fall Kill Watershed Committee: Andrew Sawtelle (Hudson River Housing), Bob Mallory (City of Poughkeepsie Common Council, 3rd Ward), Ed Glisson (Mid Hudson Children’s Museum), Elizabeth Celaya (Hudson River Housing), Harvey Flad (Vassar College), Jeff Anzevino (Scenic Hudson), Joe Chenier (City of Poughkeepsie Engineering Dept), Nancy Cozean (Upper Landing Committee), Roy Budnik (Mid Hudson Heritage Center), Matthew Slaats (PAUSE), John Mylod (City Resident, Fisherman).

Join Us! The committee is always looking for volunteers to help with Creek Clean-ups and other outreach events. Contact the Environmental Action Department at Clearwater at 845-265-8080 x 7114 for more information.

Partners:
Urban Landscape Lab, Columbia University, team coordinator
Janette Kim, Director
Eliza Montgomery, Marianne Koch, Caroline Ellis, and John Buonocore, Research and Design Assistants

Landmine Studio, landscape designer
Alice Feng, Principal

eDesign Dynamics, habitat and hydrology specialist
Eric Rothstein, Managing Partner, Engineer

PAUSE, Poughkeepsie-based community outreach
Matthew Slaats, founder

Map of the Fall Kill Watershed