Sterling Water Stewards
Sterling Water Stewards is a non-profit that protects water resources in the Town of Sterling, NY.
07/12/2023
TONIGHT at Sterling Town Hall Planning Board Meeting 7 pm. Here hydrogeologist Jon Fox discuss HOW TO PROTECT GROUNDWATER In the TOWN OF STERLING. It is a rare opportunity to learn from an expert about potential sources of contamination. If your property is on a well, this is especially important information for you.
24/08/2023
We had a great day in the field yesterday testing for contamination in surface water and shallow wells in the Martville area. Jon Fox, Sterling Water Stewards' hydrogeologist, is shown here testing at the headwaters of Blind Sodus Creek.
27/05/2023
State Senator Rachel May will speak at the Fair Haven Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 29 at 9:30 at the Central Park on Main Street in Fair Haven. The ceremony is supported by the Fair Haven Legion Auxiliary, the Hannibal American legion, the Red Creek Legion Band, and the Village of Fair Haven.
Following the traditional ceremony to honor the Village's war dead, the Senator will be at the Fair Haven Fire Hall for a "Meet and Greet" with constituents. All are invited to welcome our State Senator to Fair Haven.
13/05/2023
Beautiful day for a beach clean-up! Thanks to Red Creek / Fair Haven Rotary and Cayuga Climate Action for turning out to clean up West Barrier Bar Park in Fair Haven!
26/04/2023
We visited Eric Hellquist's Great Lakes Ecology class at SUNY Oswego today to talk about advocacy for drinking water protection. Today's students are tomorrow's water stewards.
Be There! Next Monday Nov. 21, 7 pm, the Sterling Town Board will consider the proposed Wellhead Protection Overlay District law (WHPOD). This law would affect about 500 acres surrounding the Village of Fair Haven wellfield. Purpose: to prevent contamination or depletion of our public water supply.
Mark your calendars! An Informational Presentation on the Wellhead Protection Overlay District draft law (WHPOD) is on the agenda for the Oct 24, 2022 Sterling Town Board meeting. Then on Nov 3 the draft law is expected to be on the agenda of the Sterling Town Planning Board.
12/08/2022
Come join us for our Water Resources Educational Experience happening tomorrow at the Sterling Nature Center from 1pm-3pm. We hope you are just as excited as our interns!
Don’t be compacent about protecting our public wellfield! Important Town Meeting May 24 at 7 pm. Please attend! We have lawn signs and t-shirts to help you show support!
30/10/2021
https://www.sterlingwaterstewards.com/election-2021.html
Vote Tues Nov 2 at the Fair Haven Fire Hall 6 am-9pm, or at an early voting location. Check out our website to see what Town Board candidates said at our Candidates' Forum. We need two new Town Board members who we can trust to enact strong legal protections for our drinking water!
ELECTION 2021 STERLING TOWN BOARD CANDIDATES' FORUM The Sterling Town Board will make crucial decisions regarding protection of our public and private water resources. We need stronger laws to protect our water...
THERE'S NO UNDERGROUND RIVER OR SPRING:
ALL OUR PUBLIC WATER COMES FROM WEATHER
Fair Haven Mayor Jim Basile asks Sterling Water Stewards hydrogeologist Ed Hinchey whether there are any underground sources of recharge for the public wells, such as underground springs. Hinchey said no, the aquifers in Sterling are sand-and-gravel unconfined aquifers recharged by weather. Hinchey explains that subsurface water flowing from distant sources is found in wells drilled into bedrock, which are classified as confined wells.
The wells that supply Fair Haven public water are susceptible to drought. In the video clip below hydrogeologist Ed Hinchey answers questions from Planning Board members Sue Allen and Paul Kelley.
Sue Allen asks about drought susceptibility. Hinchey explains that the aquifer is replenished mainly by precipitation. He knows this because the water is very dilute, with a low level of dissolved solids. This means that the water in the public wells has not travelled far. The public wells are located in a valley. Precipitation flows downhill to the public aquifer. The public wells are replenished by snow and rain, which means that sustained drought conditions could diminish the supply of water.
A corollary to the relatively small catchment basin is that any contaminants spilled within this area will get to the wells fast. Paul Kelley asks specifically about the Huntress land. (William Huntress, DBA Sterling Spring Water LLC, is the owner of the land across the street from the public wells, where potential development of a Dollar General and a Bulk Water Extraction & Water Bottling Plant facility have been proposed.) Kelley asks whether the gravel visible on the surface of portions of the Huntress land is separated by a layer of clay from the public aquifer. Hinchey replies that the surface gravel dives underneath any surrounding clay to provide a direct path to the wells.
18/10/2021
They are definitely coming for our water. This is a great article about the very real threat to our local drinking water resources from depletion of water supplies in the West.
US Population Continues to Move Westward – Will Water from the Great Lakes Follow? Carved out of ancient riverbeds by glaciers approximately 12 thousand years ago1, the Great Lakes are the world’s largest freshwater source. This will likely be the driving force for the resurgence of the City of Buffalo and other Rust Belt cities as climate change forces the migration of populati...
05/10/2021