NYC Protects Water Supply Thru Watershed Forest Management

Natural landscapes, such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, play a critical role in maintaining the water cycle and ensuring both water security and ecosystem health.

These green infrastructures act as natural filters for contaminants, buffer against floods, reduce runoff, regulate water flow, recharge aquifers, and stabilise soils. Together, these processes are essential for climate adaptation and improving water quality.

Implementing sustainable management practices, including reforestation, responsible grazing, and wetland restoration, can help preserve these landscapes and enable them to continue providing their valuable environmental and economic services.

New York City’s watershed forest management plan

New York City’s Watershed Forest Management Plan exemplifies how urban areas can protect their water supply through proactive forest management. The city’s drinking water supply comes from an unfiltered source —the largest in the United States —and provides approximately 1.3 billion gallons of high-quality water daily to nearly half of New York State’s population.

To safeguard this vital resource, the city launched a comprehensive Watershed Management Plan in 2011 in partnership with the United States Forest Service. The plan focuses on maintaining and protecting the health of forests surrounding the city’s reservoirs to prevent contamination from silt runoff and nutrients that might otherwise flow into water bodies.

The plan covers a wide range of topics, including the role of forests in watershed management, a history of New York City’s water supply, land use, management goals, watershed conditions, desired forest outcomes, and strategies for implementation and monitoring.

How forests safeguard New York City’s water

According to the Watershed Management Plan, New York City’s water supply system includes the Croton, Catskill, and Delaware watersheds, forming the largest surface water storage and supply system in the world. Forests cover around 75% of the 2,000-square-mile watershed area. Of this, New York City owns nearly 140,000 acres, 35,000 acres of which include 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes, while the remaining 95,000 acres are forested.

The report highlights that forested watersheds provide greater protection of water quality than developed or intensively managed lands. This recognition has led the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to prioritise the management of forested lands to maintain high-quality drinking water.

In addition to ensuring clean water, preserving these forests supports biodiversity, recreational opportunities, and carbon sequestration. Yet, the city’s primary focus remains on protecting its water supply, with other benefits considered complementary outcomes of healthy forest ecosystems.

Lessons for climate resilience

New York City’s commitment to watershed forest management demonstrates how natural infrastructure can be a cornerstone of urban climate resilience. By protecting the surrounding forests, the city secures its water supply for millions while fostering biodiversity and recreation.

This holistic approach recognises the deep connection between environmental health and human well-being.

As climate change and urbanisation continue to strain natural systems, other cities around the world can learn from New York’s example, integrating ecosystem preservation into long-term water and climate strategies.