{"id":2038970,"date":"2023-09-20T15:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T19:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flood-mitigation-work-enhances-agricultural-vitality-in-orange-county\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T15:51:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T19:51:17","slug":"flood-mitigation-work-enhances-agricultural-vitality-in-orange-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flood-mitigation-work-enhances-agricultural-vitality-in-orange-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Flood mitigation boosts Orange County&#8217;s agricultural vitality."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflood-mitigation-work-enhances-agricultural-vitality-in-orange-county%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2038970&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Nearly 10 \u2062years of mitigation work \u2062in the Black Dirt Region \u200chas significantly enhanced\u2062 the area&#8217;s ability to handle flooding,\u2062 according\u2062 to\u2064 Kevin Sumner, the manager of the Orange County\u2064 Water and Soil Conservation District.<\/p>\n<p>This region,\u2064 with its rich\u2064 soil from a prehistoric glacial lake, is the last major agricultural stronghold in Orange County, where farms have been disappearing under pavement for decades.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our goal with the mitigation work is to maintain flooding at a level that allows farming to \u200cthrive here,&#8221; Mr. Sumner explained.\u200d &#8220;We \u2062can never completely \u200deliminate flooding.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/orange-county-to-add-bikeway-vision-to-comprehensive-plan-5481430?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Orange County to Add Bikeway \u200cVision to Comprehensive Plan<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/orange-county-to-add-bikeway-vision-to-comprehensive-plan-5481430?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/growing-sports-tourism-contributes-to-orange-county-economy-5423845?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Growing Sports Tourism Contributes to Orange County Economy<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">7\/26\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/growing-sports-tourism-contributes-to-orange-county-economy-5423845?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The construction of floodplain benches along the Wallkill River, \u200dwhich runs through the heart of the\u200c Black Dirt Region, is the largest mitigation \u200cproject undertaken by Mr. Sumner&#8217;s organization.<\/p>\n<p>By reshaping the\u2064 riverbanks and creating \u200clayered benches, the project aims to restore the region&#8217;s natural capacity that\u200c has been eroded over time.<\/p>\n<p>Engineering studies have shown \u200cthat the \u2062constructed \u200cbenches \u2062can increase the river&#8217;s ability to handle rainfall by up to two inches, according to Mr. Sumner.<\/p>\n<p>Feedback from farmers \u200dalso confirms the effectiveness of the\u200d floodplain\u2063 benches.<\/p>\n<p>One farmer in the Black\u2062 Dirt Region predicted \u2064that his crops would be submerged after a \u2064historic \u2063rainfall this summer, \u2064but thanks to the benches,\u2062 they \u200dremained above water.<\/p>\n<p>However, a subsequent storm did flood around 30 acres\u200c of the farmer&#8217;s land,\u200d highlighting the importance of the benches\u2064 in minimizing the impact, Mr. Sumner noted.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasized\u2064 that the mitigation work not only \u2063benefits farmlands\u2064 but also \u200dimproves the condition of county and town roads in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Over the \u2063past decade, the\u2064 organization has constructed benches along approximately one mile of\u200d the Wallkill River, utilizing\u2062 state \u200cgrants and county funds. Mr.\u2062 Sumner is now seeking a one-time funding of \u200b$600,000 from the county government for the next\u2063 phase of the project.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One aspect I particularly appreciate about the floodplain\u200b benching project is that it not only mitigates agricultural flooding but also restores \u200bthe river corridor to a more natural and healthy state,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to floodplain \u200bbenches, the \u2063conservation district also undertakes \u200bcomplementary mitigation work, such as planting native vegetation, clearing fallen trees, and removing debris\u2063 from the \u2064river.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, Mr. Sumner expanded the scope\u200b of the mitigation work downstream, \u200cbeyond Maple Avenue in the Town of \u2064Wawayanda, in response to requests from local farmers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;The\u200c farmers emphasized that it is the outlet of the\u2063 entire \u2064Wallkill Valley, \u2064and it \u2062must \u200cremain unobstructed,&#8221; \u2064he explained. &#8220;We can have an excellent flood control project all the way up to New Jersey, but if it becomes a bottleneck here, the entire region \u2063will suffer.&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Funding<\/h2>\n<p>So far, \u200dthe organization has \u200bspent approximately $4 million on flood mitigation work, with \u200b$3\u2062 million provided by the\u200c state government and an additional $350,000 covered\u2063 by the\u2064 county.<\/p>\n<p>The bulk of the\u200c funding came from\u2063 a $2 million state \u200bgrant secured by former state Sen. John Bonacic following \u200bthe devastating Hurricane\u2062 Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>According to Mr.\u200c Sumner, farmers \u2063in the Black Dirt Region incurred $50 million in losses that year.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The frequency of flooding had reached a point where farming in the\u2064 region was becoming economically unfeasible, so we had to\u200c take action,&#8221; he \u200cstated.<\/p>\n<p>The $2 million grant \u2062kickstarted the flood mitigation\u2062 work a decade ago, and it continues today with the support of other state funding and county assistance.<\/p>\n<p>The Orange County Water and Soil Conservation \u2062District was established in 1967\u200d through a resolution by the county \u2062legislature to protect \u2063the\u2064 county&#8217;s natural resources.<\/p>\n<p>While the organization&#8217;s\u2063 primary focus has always been agriculture, it occasionally takes on\u2062 programs tailored to landowners beyond farmers\u200d or \u200curban\u2063 centers.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to \u2062flood mitigation, the conservation district also manages projects related \u2063to composting, farm manure management, and cover crops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200d How do retention ponds help mitigate\u2063 flooding in the Black Dirt Region?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ict\u2062 has implemented other strategies to mitigate flooding in the Black Dirt Region. These include the construction of retention ponds and the installation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-blanket-budget-slash-to-22-spending-levels-could-defund-bidens-green-energy-push\/\" title=\"IN DEPTH: Blanket Budget Slash to \u201922 Spending Levels Could Defund Biden\u2019s Green Energy Push\">groundwater monitoring wells<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Retention ponds\u200b are designed to \u2063capture\u2063 excess \u2062water during \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/relentless-parade-of-cyclones-at-least-12-dead-in-ca-as-winter-storm-continues-to-pummel-the-state\/\" title=\"\u2018Relentless Parade Of Cyclones\u2019: At Least 12 Dead In CA As Winter Storm Continues To Pummel The State\">heavy rainfall events<\/a>, preventing it from overwhelming the \u2062river \u200dand causing flooding. These ponds retain\u200b the water temporarily until it can be slowly released back into the river system, reducing\u200b the \u200drisk of flooding\u2063 downstream.<\/p>\n<p>Groundwater monitoring wells provide \u200bcrucial data \u200bon the water levels in \u200dthe region. By monitoring\u200d the groundwater\u2062 levels, the conservation district can anticipate potential flooding events\u2064 and\u200b take necessary measures to prevent or minimize \u200bdamage. This data also helps in\u2064 assessing the\u200c effectiveness of the\u2063 mitigation strategies \u2063implemented.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200b efforts \u200cof the Orange County Water and Soil Conservation District\u200d have not\u200c only protected farmlands from flooding but have also\u2062 had positive effects on\u200d the environment. The restoration\u2063 of the river \u200bcorridor to a more \u2063natural and healthy \u200dstate \u2064has improved the\u200d habitat for various plant and animal \u200bspecies. It has\u200c also\u200d contributed to the overall ecological balance of the region.<\/p>\n<p>The success of the \u2064mitigation \u200dwork in the Black Dirt Region serves \u200das a\u200c valuable\u2062 lesson \u200dfor\u200d other \u2064areas prone to flooding. By combining\u200b engineering \u200bsolutions with\u200b a deep understanding of the local \u2063environment, it is possible to minimize the impact of flooding\u2062 and protect vital agricultural lands.<\/p>\n<p>However, the work\u200b is\u200b far from finished.\u200b Climate change and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flood-mitigation-work-enhances-agricultural-vitality-in-orange-county\/\" title=\"Flood mitigation boosts Orange County's agricultural vitality.\">increasing rainfall patterns pose ongoing challenges<\/a>. The conservation district\u2063 must continue to adapt \u200dits strategies to meet these new challenges\u200b and ensure the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-45-billion-tribal-spending-spree-contains-these-seven-bizarre-initiatives\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s  Billion Tribal Spending Spree Contains These Seven Bizarre Initiatives\">long-term resilience<\/a> of\u200d the region.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200bconclusion, the mitigation work undertaken by\u200b the Orange County Water and Soil Conservation District in the Black Dirt Region \u2062has significantly enhanced the area&#8217;s ability to handle flooding. Through\u200d the construction of floodplain benches, retention ponds, \u200cand the installation of groundwater monitoring wells, the\u200c region&#8217;s natural\u200b capacity to handle \u200drainfall has\u2062 been restored. This has not \u2064only \u200bprotected\u2064 farmlands but has also improved the health of\u200d the river corridor and the overall ecological\u2064 balance \u2064of the region. The success of these efforts\u200b emphasizes \u2062the importance of \u2062proactive and innovative approaches to mitigate the \u2062impact of flooding in vulnerable areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>has been lost to development. The mitigation work has involved restoring wetlands, creating floodplain storage areas, and implementing erosion control measures. These efforts have not only reduced flood risks but also enhanced the region&#8217;s agricultural productivity. Sumner believes that continued investment in mitigation work is crucial for preserving the Black Dirt Region&#8217;s unique agricultural heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":417,"featured_media":2038971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2038970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/417"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2038970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2038971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2038970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2038970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2038970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}