This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The State University of New York - New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will sponsor an eight week summer research experience for 12 highly motivated undergraduate students conducting a comprehensive watershed characterization and management study. This interdisciplinary investigation of watershed and stream characterization will be focused on the upper Esopus Creek watershed, which is one of most important drinking water sources of New York City. The principal objectives of the SUNY New Paltz REU program are to promote the professional development of our undergraduate students and instill a better understanding and appreciation for the complexity of watershed characterization and management. The REU participants, individually and in small groups, will be mentored by the program's four faculty members on research projects addressing surface and ground water hydrology, geomorphic assessment, aquatic chemistry, biogeochemistry (nutrient cycling, hydro-geochemical evolution), and invertebrate ecology (Benthic Macro Invertebrate-BMI). An integrated watershed approach will be applied to examine the geological, chemical, hydrological, and biological controls on hydrologic response variables and ecological communities within fluvial and riparian ecosystems and their cumulative effects throughout the watershed. This approach will be applied to identify the areas within a watershed that most significantly affect water quality and to develop a science-based Stream Management Plan. GIS technology in this program will be a critical tool for modeling and visualizing information to develop policy-making decisions based on the sustainable use of natural resources. This REU project will provide baseline for ecosystem status that can be utilized to make informed watershed management decisions throughout the Catskill Region. The interdisciplinary approach to natural processes used in this program provides opportunities for students who pursue graduate study and careers in geology, environmental science, natural resources management and environmental policy.
