Orangetown Green Infrastructure Tour Saturday

Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart announced two tours in Orangetown earlier this week. 

Stewart will join local experts for a tour of green infrastructure projects which begins 10 a.m. Saturday at Sparkill Fire House at 520 Route 340 in Sparkill. 

The full tour booklet is attached to this report. It includes an explanation of green infrastructure.

"Green infrastructure' uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls unlike single-purpose 'gray' stormwater infrastructure, which uses pipes to dispose of rainwater into the nearest stream. Green infrastructure isa n approach that communities can choose to maintain healthy waters, provide multiple environmental benefits and support sustainable communities. By weaving natural processes into the built environment, green infrastructure provides not only stormwater management, but also flood mitigation, air quality management and much more."

Sites included in the tour will be:

• Riparian Buffer Planting (Sparkill Creek)
• Residential Rain Barrells (Sparkill)
• Porous Pavement Parking Lot (Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory)
• Vegetated Swales and Rain Gardens (Orangetown Highway Department, Dominican College, Piermont Library)
• Rockland Audobon Rain Garden at Piermont Library

There will also be a tour of the Orangetown Sewer Treatment Plant, Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. Space is very limited.

Those interested in either tour should RSVP to Stewart at astewart@orangetown.com or by phone at (845) 359-1000 ext. 2261. For more information, contact Stewart or Laurie Seeman of the Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance at laurieseeman@gmail.com or (845) 558-0887.