THE RAMAPO RIVER WATERSHED

In 1997, the Ramapo River Watershed Council (RRWC) began to create a watershed management program for the bi-state Ramapo River Watershed, a 163 square mile watershed in New York and New Jersey. The watershed lies in four counties and twelve municipalities and begins in the Highlands areas of Sterling Forest and Harriman State Parks. The Ramapo River Watershed is a source of water for over 2 million people within the region. The sand and gravel deposits underlying the valley it have been designated by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a "sole source aquifer".

The initial step in developing the Watershed Management Program was to inventory the natural resources of the watershed and potential or existing uses which impact the natural system. Once the resources and impacts were adequately determined, the data we compiled into a Geographic Information System (GIS), software analysis could be conducted.

The GIS provides a tool which enables the RRWC members to view and analyze data and the GIS is a repository of information and data on which future land use decisions will be made. The "Ramapo River Watershed" map was initially prepared for the RRWC as the "base map" for the watershed and eventually evolved into a tool for public education and outreach for the Watershed Management Program. The map provides a unique visualization of the resources of the region and was intended to help promote:

• A greater understanding of the watershed as a "sole source aquifer".
• Public education, appreciation and protection of the beneficial uses of the River and its water resources throughout the watershed, including its uses as a potable water supply from both surface and ground water resources.
• Local government's role as an active participant in the Watershed Management process.
• The use of GIS as the "living map" of the Watershed, to be used as a watershed management and education tool.

For additional information about our GIS services, see our GIS Services page, call us at (800) 818-8LBG, or send e-mail to gis@lbgweb.com