The Watershed Agricultural Council (also known as WAC or the Council) works with farm and forest landowners in the New York City Watershed region to protect water quality on behalf of nine million New York residents. The Council uses
Whole Farms Plans
Forest Management Plans
Conservation Easements
to help farmers, forest professionals, and private landholders address water pollution concerns on properties located in the Croton and Catskill/Delaware Watersheds.
Internationally recognized as a successful example of public-private partnership, the Council applies strategic watershed management approaches that benefit the general public through incentivized, on-site practices performed on private lands. This partnership model, referred to as Payment for EcoServices or PES, empowers private landowners to be surface-water stewards of New York Citys drinking water. Landowner willingness to participate in WACs upstream water quality programs continues to provide New York City residents with over 1.1 billion gallons of clean drinking water each day.