What is a Watershed?
In its simplest terms, a watershed is a landform that starts high on a ridge or mountain and descends to lowlands into streams. It carries rainwater run-off — often contaminated with chemicals, trash, and other materials — into storm drains or directly into our creeks, streams and rivers. This has a disastrous impact on everything from plants and wildlife to our sources of drinking water.
According to the EPA, the leading source of pollution in surface drinking water supplies is polluted rainwater runoff. Many pollutants are found in legal, commonly-used household products – cleaning chemicals for our homes, oil and gasoline for our vehicles, pesticides and fertilizers for our lawns, and pharmaceuticals for ourselves.
Our Sparkill Creek watershed begins on Clausland Mountain and, after a trip through seven hamlets and villages and even across state lines into New Jersey, it circles back to terminate in the Piermont Marsh. We refer to our watershed as being from the “Mountain to the Marsh.”
Check our Watershed report card and you will understand how important it is to Join Us at the Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance.
Our Watershed Report
Our watershed sampling can be found at RiverKeeper.org. Click here for more reports and resources.
Sparkill Creek Scrapbook
Creatures of Our Creek
Sparkill Creek provides habitats for a variety of freshwater fishes, common snapping turtle, northern water snake and diamondback terrapin. Bird species include pied-billed grebe, least bittern, green-backed heron, mallard, American black duck, gadwall, wood duck, marsh wren, American woodcock, red-winged blackbird, and swamp sparrow are among the wonderful variety of creatures in and around our creek and watershed.
Waterfall under Tappan Memorial Park Bridge to the Library by Laurie Peek 5.2020
Water Sampling: How is it done?
Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance has been sampling for many years for an array of aspects regarding water quality. Bacteria, chemistry, and macroinvertebrates (indicator species) are monitored in our watershed through these sampling initiatives. Members, individuals, and families can come together to learn about the scientific aspects of maintaining our water. Participants are always welcome to join us for sampling!
WHAT KIND OF SAMPLING DOES SCWA DO?
Here are some examples of the work SCWA does in the creek
Bacteria (enterococcus): Sampling for bacteria in the Sparkill watershed gives an understanding of where pollution or discharge may be present.
Nutrients: Mapping our creek for where there are nutrient deficiencies or a high concentration of nutrients can help us understand the causes and consequences of local activity.
Hands-On in the Creek
These images have been provided by Jen Epstein to showcase the equipment we use to survey our watershed.
