Esopus Creek

Riverkeeper’s citizen science partners sample the Esopus Creek downstream of the Ashokan reservoir. The upper portion of the watershed, including the reservoir and the waterways upstream of it, is part of New York City’s water supply, but the Lower Esopus Watershed, downstream of the reservoir, is not.

Below the Ashokan Reservoir, the Esopus Creek flows through a narrow valley before turning to the northeast and entering a wide, agricultural floodplain. Throughout this section stream water is withdrawn to irrigate the nearby farms. The creek’s valley narrows again, flowing into the Esopus Gorge near Mt. Marion before joining the Hudson River at Saugerties.

The lowermost two miles of the Esopus Creek are tidally influenced and are important year-round habitat for a wide variety of fish, amphibians, birds and mammals. Upstream of Kingston, the creek and some of its tributaries are designated by NYS DEC as trout waters.

The portions of the Esopus Creek where Riverkeeper monitors are used for kayaking and swimming both at official beaches and informal spots.

Read Riverkeeper’s 2021 data report for the Esopus Creek Watershed.

SAMPLING PARTNERS

Riverkeeper partners with watershed citizens to sample the Esopus Creek.

• Waterway Classifications

  Upper Esopus Creek (above the Ashokan Reservoir) is class A(TS) and class C(TS). The class A(TS) section must have water quality that supports use for drinking water, and the class C(TS) section must have water quality that supports fisheries and non-contact recreation. The ‘TS’ indicates that this section of the waterway is trout spawning habitat. Riverkeeper’s citizen partners do not sample in this part of the watershed.

  Middle Esopus Creek (from the Ashokan Reservoir to Kingston) is class B(T), meaning that water quality must support primary and secondary contact recreation and fishing. The ‘T’ indicates that this section of the waterway is habitat for trout. In this reach, citizen partners sample at:

  • Marbletown- Tongore Park swimming beach
  • Hurley- Wyncoop Road Bridge Fire Dept intake
  • Kingston- Washington Avenue Bridge

  Lower Esopus Creek (from Kingston to the mouth) is class B, meaning that water quality must support primary and secondary contact recreation and fishing. In this reach, citizen partners sample at:

  • Lincoln Park- Orlando Park
  • Lake Katrine- Leggs Mill Bridge
  • Mt Marion- USGS Streamgage
  • Saugerties Village Beach
  • Esopus Creek Entrance (sampled by Riverkeeper’s Boat Captain)

• Water Quality Data and Impairments

  In 2007 Hudson Basin River Watch (HBRW) conducted biomonitoring in the Esopus Creek and recorded slight to moderate water quality impacts at six sampling sites downstream of the Ashokan Reservoir. According to HBRW’s report, impacts at the sampling site in Lake Katrine may be due to discharge from the Ulster County Sewer Improvement Area Wastewater Treatment Plant. The DEC noted impacts near this plant when it monitored Esopus Creek, but has not re-assessed water quality at that site since the plant was upgraded in 1999.

  Below the Ashokan Reservoir, the Esopus Creek suffers from turbidity spikes caused by water releases that NYC DEP uses to keep turbidity at acceptable levels in the NYC drinking water supply. The creek is also impacted by nutrient runoff from agricultural and urban areas.

  Water Quality Data Sources
  NYS DEC Waterbody Inventory for Middle Hudson River Watershed, 2012
  Hudson Basin River Watch Biological Stream Survey: Esopus Creek, 2007

• Wastewater Infrastructure

  Some of the communities along Esopus Creek where Riverkeeper samples have publicly owned sewer systems, and some are served by septic systems. This means that the potential sources of fecal contamination vary along the creek’s course.

  Wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES). Information on SPDES permit compliance and enforcement can be found online at EPA’s ECHO database.

  Publicly Owned Wastewater Facilities within the Watershed

  • Pine Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant, Shandaken, SPDES Permit Number 0026557
  • Boiceville Wastewater Treatment Plant, Boiceville, SPDES Permit Number 0274038
  • Woodstock Sewer Treatment Plant, Woodstock, SPDES Permit Number 0109711
  • Woodstock Guild System #3, Woodstock, SPDES Permit Number 0149306
  • Ulster Sewer District Sewage Treatment Plant, Kingston, SPDES Permit Number 0021563
  • Chichester Sewage Disposal Plant, Shandaken, SPDES Permit Number 0233943
  • Village of Saugerties Dock Street Sewage Treatment Plant, Saugerties, SPDES Permit Number 0031208