Ruth DeFries

The origins of NYC water and the issues faced in water management in the Catskills.

how the nyc watershed works/the stakeholders in the watershed

Excellent course with engaging instructor and well-planned weekend trip.

I learned so much about NYC's water system and the state's history with it!

In this class, we learned how the NYC watershed system works, including its conservation program and efforts to coordinate stakeholders to manage and maintain the water system supply unfiltered.

I learned more about how the NYC water shed was constructed, key factors that were taken into consideration as well as key solutions to the problem the water resources at the Catskills. The course gave a sense of caring for water hence i developed a passion of diving deeper into water systems. The skills I gained include, water management, reporting skills, critical analysis, watershed resource management

Really insightful experience on New York city's water supply system (gouvernance, history of infrastructure, upcoming challenges), and the opportunity to delve into another city's watershed management system.

I learned where NYC gets its water. I also learned, more importantly, how to create sustainable (as it can exist over long periods of time) agreements that can navigate change.

The NYC watershed history, and all the different stakeholders involved in managing it for everyone who depends on it. Which is, everyone within NYC and everyone dependent on the catskills water basin.

Understanding how watersheds function as essential systems where water flows to a single point. The New York City example demonstrated how this works in practice, with its network of reservoirs serving millions through protected watersheds instead of filtration. Most importantly, I learned that successful water management requires carefully balancing environmental protection with the diverse needs of farmers, residents, and other stakeholders — and it was immensely helpful to interact with all these stakeholders.