Westchester Legislators Approve Stormwater Plans for Saw Mill and Pocantico Rivers

The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) approved the Stormwater Reconnaissance Plan for the Saw Mill and Pocantico Rivers last night at its regular meeting, thus paving the way for more specific recommendations for physical projects and other actions to address flooding around Westchester and in the municipalities located within the Saw Mill River and Pocantico River watersheds. 

Approval of the Stormwater Reconnaissance Plan for the Saw Mill and Pocantico River watersheds is a requirement of Westchester’s Storm Water Management Law, which was adopted in 2011 to map out an overall strategy for combating the persistent flooding problems impacting every municipality in the county. The reconnaissance plan covers an area along the Hudson River in southwestern Westchester which drains directly into the Saw Mill River and includes a number of smaller watersheds, streams and stormwater drains. The study encompasses a wide range of land use and development density—from downtown Yonkers to the more residential neighborhoods up county, which have experienced substantial flooding problems and attendant property damages and road closures. 

“This reconnaissance plan is three years in the making, and will go a long way toward helping some of Westchester’s most flooding prone municipalities to start the planning process for projects to mitigate this all-too-familiar scourge,” said Legislator MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson), chair of the BOL Infrastructure Committee and also the BOL’s Saw Mill River Watershed Advisory Board. “The county has seen a noticeable uptick in flooding problems caused from heavy downpours and superstorms. Stormwater problems have caused untold millions of dollars of damages throughout the county, and have closed our parkways on numerous occasions. But now we’re moving forward with data collected from the municipalities to help prioritize what projects will have the most benefit for our residents and business owners.” 

The most flood prone areas in the Saw Mill and Pocantico River watersheds will be eligible for improvements, said Shimsky, who emphasized three major points regarding the approval of the plan: 1) some flooding problems will not be solved until there is better land use practices and more effective coordination between municipalities, 2) the county still lacks many infrastructure improvements, like stream gauges, to help form an effective stormwater mitigation strategy, and 3) prioritizing projects means that some will be held back until more data is collected.

The good news for municipalities in the approved recon plan is that projects like water detention basins and rain gardens stand as effective measures for flood mitigation, and can be enacted right away. Maintenance of waterways, which in most cases require some permitting, should be given proper attention. 

Legislator Shimsky also noted that approval of this reconnaissance plan is a first step, and that three more reconnaissance plans have been submitted by the Administration for BOL approval. The rest should be completed this summer, Shimsky said. 

The BOL Infrastructure Committee, along with the BOL Environment & Energy Committee chaired by Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye), met today to begin vetting the Bronx River Watershed Reconnaissance Plan. 

“Our local partners tell us these plans will make the path toward flood mitigation much clearer for them,” said Parker. “The time for action on flooding is now, not when there is a foot of water in everyone’s basement, and I’m glad the Board of Legislators recognizes this. My colleague Legislator Shimsky deserves a lot of credit for personally taking on the challenge of bringing these reconnaissance plans to the table with all of the municipalities joining in the effort.” 

Last year, Legislator Shimsky introduced a new stormwater management bill that would eliminate the requirement for municipalities to pay for half of all the flood mitigation projects enacted by the County. She is planning on reintroducing the bill again during this legislative term. 

“The Board of Legislators needs to continue to take the lead on this important issue and make sure the Administration picks up its game to help out,” said Shimsky. “Listening to our municipalities on flooding always is the best guide when developing plans for the county. They have the best boots-on-the-ground experience with flooding, and now we need to stay committed to seeing the short- and long-term solutions through.”