The New York City Watershed: Improving Relations Using Environmental Policy

From 1837 to 1967, New York City constructed a total of 19 reservoirs in the Catskill/Delaware region to meet growing demand for clean drinking water.  This historically strained relationship between upstate and New York City officials due to land acquisition by the City has positively progressed since reservoir construction.  However, as New York City has utilized regulations and additional land acquisition to avoid billions of dollars in water filtration expenditures, tensions have again risen.   Through interviews with watershed and state officials, this research study has found a more cooperative and trusting relationship can be built with more targeted land acquisition, greater New York City monetary support of watershed economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and forestry, more New York City employment opportunities in the watershed, and better communication channels.