Senator Harckham Passes Bill Designating Westchester County Lakes as Inland Waterways

Pete Harckham

March 21, 2019

(Mt. Kisco, NY) Senator Pete Harckham's bill (S.3444) was passed by the New York State Senate today. It designated Junior Lake, Mohansic Lake and Sparkle Lake, all located in Westchester County, as inland waterways for the purposes of waterfron revitalization and protection of the water quality for New York City's watershed.

“The Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) has noted water quality problems at Sparkle, Junior and Mohansic Lakes in Westchester County,” said Senator Pete Harckham, 40th Senate District, who sponsored the measure. “To protect these important lakes in my district, which are an integral part of the Croton Watershed and our drinking/recreational waterways, these lakes must be designated as inland waterways. This bill will allow the affected communities of Yorktown and Yorktown Heights to become eligible for money from NYCDEP to improve the water quality and protect the watershed.”

 

Located within the Croton River watershed, which supplies drinking water to New York City and Westchester County, these lakes were identified in the Croton Watershed South Stakeholder Report as an area suspected to be of concern regarding pathogens, total suspended solids and total phosphorus. These problems were also confirmed by the State Department of Environmental Conservation during their own monitoring. 

 

“Our lakes and entire watershed are precious resources that we must protect with vigor so future generations have safe recreational waterways and clean drinking water,” said Harckham. “Today’s designation by the Senate is the first step in the process of ensuring that the three lakes are revitalized and that future generations can enjoy them."

 

New York State Senate District 40 includes parts of Northern Westchester (Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Sleepy Hollow, Somers, Yorktown) Putnam (Brewster, Carmel, Patterson, Southeast) and Dutchess (Beekman, Pawling).

 

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