MAMAKATING — Water is the basic building block for life as we know it. The Town of Mamakating is looking to do more to protect its water resources for the future.

During the May 24th town board meeting, Town Supervisor Janet Lybolt announced that she wanted to get Mamakating's Aquifer designated as a “principal or primary aquifer” with New York State to better be able to regulate and protect the water that supplies the town with clean drinking water.

An aquifer is defined as an underground layer of permeable rock that allows water to be taken for use via a well or a spring. Lybolt said this project was her “focus since the Town did the original Hydrological Report for the Comprehensive Plan.”

It was then that she learned that the Aquifer “did not have a designation with New York State.” She also told the Democrat that she wanted to bring this up sooner, but due to the pandemic in 2020, she could not, but was proud to do so now.

In order to receive a designation with New York State, a hydrogeological study must be completed on the Aquifer. the study done in 2017 for Mamakating's Comprehensive Plan cannot be used for the designation. The town has hired Mid-Hudson Geoscience with hydrogeologists Katherine Beinkafner and Paul Rubin leading the study.

They spoke during the meeting to explain what they aimed to do and to answer any questions the board had.

Paul Rubin explained that he wanted to do a follow up to the 2017 study: one that is more detailed and can depict the current and future demand for the Aquifer. He said the study should determine the current major water users as well as who may become a major water user to better prepare zoning laws in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. The study will also determine “potential threats” and “assess actions” that can be done to reduce future problems. Rubin also stated that the study will look at different business and homes to not only evaluate how much water is being used, but the quality of that water as well.

The water “is the most valuable resource in Mamakating,” Rubin said, it is “finite” and “irreplaceable.”

Without that water, the scenic beauty and the Baskakill would not be a part of Mamakating, and the survival ecosystems and businesses and trails are reliant on that water, Rubin continued.

Deputy Supervisor Eileen Rogers asked what kind of protection can be given with NYS designation, and if it has been done in other towns.

Beinkafner responded that the town would have to create their own legal structure with some guidance with current Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) structure. She also stated that the town will have to look to their attorney for some guidance.

Rubin stated that designation will help the town protect the Aquifer if a business proposal comes in that may compromise it.

Councilman Gary Forthoffer asked how long the study would take. Rubin responded that it would take about three to six months.

During public comment, Grace Woodard expressed that she “fully endorsed this proposition.” Woodard is with the Deer Park Rural Alliance and New York Environcom. She also works with the Bashakill Area Association and the Neversink Watershed Initiative. She explained that the Bashakill, the Neversink River, and the Aquifer are all connected, and there has been a lot of scientific research to deepen the understanding of how these waterways are working and evolving. She explained that the “more protection [the waterways] can get, the better.”

The board unanimously voted to allow Mid-Hudson Geoscience to complete the study at the cost of $21,000.