The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

George Schuler, Director of Conservation Science and Practice in New York © TNC

George Schuler, Director of Conservation Science and Practice

In New York, we are ensuring our freshwater resources remain protected through a project called Water for Tomorrow.

The Water Resource Management Act, passed by Governor Cuomo in August 2011, will protect water bodies and wildlife habitats through the creation of science-based standards for water management and a new permitting system for withdrawals from streams, lakes and ponds.

Under this legislation, key bodies of water in New York will be protected, including the Delaware River and Catskills that supply water to 9 million people and the Great Lakes, which holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water.

In order to create a unified management framework and the accompanying tools that will be necessary to implement it, The Nature Conservancy is leading Water for Tomorrow.

Water for Tomorrow will provide scientifically based, spatially explicit information to evaluate ecological impacts and human tradeoffs of new water withdrawals for the 21,000 miles of streams and lakes in the state.

"With threats like natural gas development and climate change, the pressure on New York’s water resources will continue to grow," says Conservancy freshwater scientist George Schuler. "With your help, we can re-imagine the way New York manages its water resources."

This represents the first time that modern freshwater science, statistical and modeling tools and innovative freshwater policy and regulation are being brought together in a collaborative manner.