DEP to open three more reservoirs to boating

Photo of Cannonsville Reservoir by Flickr user kmitschke. Published under Creative Commons license.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection plans to announce publicly that the recreational boating program that has been running on the Cannonsville Reservoir since 2009 will be opened up this year to three more reservoirs: the Pepacton, Neversink and Schoharie.

The announcement will be made at 1pm tomorrow, February 10, at the Catskill Watershed Corporation's headquarters at 905 Main Street in Margaretville.

From a DEP press release issued this afternoon:

Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter Strickland will announce a major expansion of the recreational boating program at the Neversink, Pepacton and Schoharie reservoirs. The program will be similar to the three-year pilot program to expand recreational boating opportunities at Cannonsville Reservoir, which is now complete and will be permanent. Now, only metal rowboats with boat tags issued by DEP staff are allowed on the Neversink, Pepacton and Schoharie reservoirs and only for the purpose of fishing. The new program will expand public access by allowing temporary and seasonal recreational boat tags issued by DEP certified private steam cleaning vendors for rowboats, canoes, kayaks, sculls and small sailboats with removable center boards. The new recreational boating program will add 12,544 acres of recreation area. DEP will also open 7,500 acres of watershed land in 2012.

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