CROTON WATERSHED MANAGEMENT STRATEGY: WATERSHED ASSESSMENT THROUGH A GIS FRAMEWORK

New York City is developing an integrated watershed management strategy for the Croton System, the oldest portion of the City's unique drinking water supply system. This project will help the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) to optimize watershed management efforts by achieving two goals: 1) identifying subbasins that may present a higher potential risk for water quality impairment relative to other subbasins, and 2) prioritizing watershed management strategies to address current and future water quality concerns. This paper discusses the development and implementation of a watershed-based methodology designed to compare potential risk of water quality impairment among the Croton Watershed subbasins. The analysis occurs within a Geographic Information System that allows the incorporation of spatial data, particularly land-based characteristics such as land use and soil type.