Catskill Watershed Corporation Awarded 100,000 ARC Grant to Strengthen Capacity and Support Watershed Communities

ARKVILLE - January 12, 2026 - The Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) has been awarded a $100,000 grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) READY Grants to Grow program, part of the READY Appalachia initiative. The two-year award, which requires a 50/50 match, will fund targeted capacity-building investments that modernize CWC’s data infrastructure tools and add a new staff position dedicated to implementing and managing those tools – directly improving how CWC delivers flood mitigation, stormwater management, and related services across Watershed communities.

"This investment enables CWC to upgrade our systems and enhance service delivery to our communities," stated Jason Merwin, CWC Executive Director. "By bolstering our internal capacity through the implementation of modern data systems and the addition of a dedicated staff member to oversee this initiative, we are better positioned to respond effectively to local requirements and allocate greater focus to flood mitigation, stormwater management, and strengthening community resilience."

The grant will support the acquisition and deployment of crucial data infrastructure tools for CWC’s extensive and longstanding programs, including Flood Hazard Mitigation and Stormwater Management. The new staff member will lead this effort by applying expertise to identify, oversee, and manage the selected system to ensure the delivery of maximum value to the organization. Importantly, CWC currently has a significant amount of useful but underutilized data; this project will help organize, standardize, and surface that information, ultimately strengthening internal reporting and making data more publicly accessible so communities, partners, and residents can track progress and outcomes.

These improvements will streamline data management, reduce administrative burdens, enhance transparency, and enable faster response times for staff and community partners. Enhanced technological capacity will be especially valuable in distressed and transitional communities within the West of Hudson Watershed, where older infrastructure and limited local resources make flood and stormwater mitigation both urgent and challenging. Centralized data and a dedicated role focused on implementation and optimization, will allow CWC to serve these communities more effectively and proactively.

Beyond operational improvements, the grant also strengthens workforce and economic development by investing in staff training and formalizing a role responsible for ongoing process improvement and knowledge management within the organization. Strengthening CWC’s internal systems and expertise will build organizational resilience beyond the grant period and ensure that Watershed communities have access to timely, accurate information – helping them make informed decisions, reduce environmental risks, and pursue sustainable growth for years to come.

For more information about the Catskill Watershed Corporation and its programs, visit cwconline.org

The CWC is a locally based and locally staffed non-profit Local Development Corporation responsible for environmental protection, economic development and education programs in the New York City Watershed West of the Hudson River.