Association vexed over discharges into creek

Glenerie Lake Park Improvement Association members want their voices heard when it comes to the Lower Esopus Creek.

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » Glenerie Lake Park Improvement Association members want a say in how the Lower Esopus Creek is treated.

Association President Deborah Nuzzo said Thursday, April 1, that members have been caught off-guard long enough over New York City’s daily release of 600 million gallons of muddy water and believe officials don’t understand the creek is a backyard for the association’s 60 members.

On its Facebook page, the association, established in 1927, said it is a social and protective organization that represents the neighborhoods along the Glenerie Lake.

“We don’t know when the releases are going to happen,” she said. “It will look like it’s gone away and all of a sudden we’re bombarded again.”

Concerns also include erosion from the force of high water volumes that is sent from the Ashokan Reservoir into the creek.

Nuzzo said members had hoped that the town of Ulster and the environmental group Riverkeeper would serve to act on Glenerie’s behalf but have found their concerns have gotten buried as secondary issues. She added that while town Councilman John Morrow is an association member, his role as a townwide representative means he must answer to a broader base of constituents.

Nuzzo also said surveys and questionnaires sent by New York City Department of Environmental Protection have been limited and superficial because there are people who own property near the creek who were not asked for comments.

“We have gotten the royal runaround,” she said, adding that the association has not gotten any satisfaction.

City officials have been required for the past 10 years to meet with stakeholder groups consisting of representatives from municipal governments and environmental groups. Information was not immediately available on how groups can begin participating in meetings, which take place four times a year.

New York City spokesman Adam Bosch said in an email that it is up to the stakeholder groups to make sure that the public is informed of activity that could affect the Lower Esopus Creek.

“The Ashokan Releases Working Group was specifically set up to get detailed information to community representatives so that they could relay that information to people in their town, village or city who were interested in the issue,” he wrote.