Otsego Soil and Water Conservation District

11/02/2026

We are honored the the NYS-DEC referenced, in partnership with the Upper Susquehanna Coalition and Trout Unlimited, our contributions for the improvement of the Schenevus Creek upstream along the South Hill. It was quite the project that involved multiple moving parts, but in the end was successfully executed. Schenevus Creek is one of the many water bodies of Otsego County that provide fishing and other recreation to the local community, and source of concern for the SWCD when something is negatively affecting it. Such projects allow our water bodies to recover and provide a healthy environment for both humans and the local habitat.
For those of you interested in this project, as well as additional projects performed by the NYS-DEC, please subscribe at DEC Delivers which can be found below

DEC Delivers offers subscribers great flexibility. We invite you to give it a try! Sign up to receive email notices concerning those subjects you are most interested in.

10/16/2026

Shout out to SUNY Oneonta for working with us to implement their CoRE grant and planting ~1300 trees. Our technician, Shamar Fitzpatrick was more than happy aiding our local university in achieving this environmental and community event. For more information, please see the article below.

The reforestation effort was made possible through a New York state grant and in partnership with the non-profit, Grow Big Trees.

10/08/2026

After a long wait and much processing, we were able to close a long standing project. With the equipment obtained, the Otsego SWCD will be able to help the local municipalities of Otsego County in regards to flood mitigation, environmental work and emergency stream intervention.

“Though this new procurement, we hope that we at least have one avenue to immediately tackle vitally important stream areas that are afflicted with flooding and erosion concerns,” Galanopoulos added.

09/21/2026

It's that time of year again! Planting time!

09/04/2026

Glad that Otsego County SWCD was able to represent both the CDEA and other districts at the 2026 New York State fair. It was fun spreading the message of conservation to all the attendees. Hopefully, we will see everyone next year.

08/05/2026

In lieu of the outages plaguing our region, the Otsego County SWCD will be working in a limited capacity until such issues are resolved. If you have questions feel free to reach out to us via phone or email.

Thank you for your understanding.

07/02/2026

Dear all,

For those interested or in need, the State of New York has released its Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program. This program has been established to provide financial relief to New York farms who have faced escalating costs and market disruptions due to federal tariffs. For farmers in Otsego County NY, who are eligible, feel free tore view the link below to apply, or reach out to the Otsego County SWCD if you have any questions or need help.

Applications are due Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

06/01/2026

Glad that I was able to help with the pigging of the water intake system of Cooperstown NY. As the DM of Otsego County SWCD, and with conjunction of our various partners both within SUNY-Oneonta and beyond, the betterment of the lake and the security of the drinking water of Cooperstown NY is of paramount importance. In tandem, the event ties is with the developing 9 Element Plan and the monitoring of the lake regarding its health, the status of invasive species, the impact of human activities, etc.

Looking forward to doing it all over again in a few years.

05/19/2026

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/new-york/news/usda-offers-disaster-assistance-to-agricultural-producers-in-new-york

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events.

05/18/2026

https://www.thedailystar.com/news/local_news/cherry-valley-community-members-plant-hundreds-of-trees/article_f83431d4-7047-4cd2-97d5-0172f82fa530.html

Several members of the community in Cherry Valley planted a riparian forest buffer of 525 native trees and shrubs along the Cherry Valley Creek behind the Old School on Saturday,