Local Homeowners Property Elevated Above Floodplain with Support from CWC Flood Hazard Mitigation Program

ARKVILLE — The Catskill Watershed Corporation’s (CWC) Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program (FHMIP) has helped protect another local property from flood risk in the Town of Ashland, Greene County. Jeff Beatty, owner of a residence on State Route 23, received three grants totaling over $185,000 to elevate his home two feet above the 100-year base flood elevation.

The project began in February 2022 with a $5,000 feasibility study to explore flood mitigation options for the residential property. The study was completed by the engineering firm LaBella Associates and concluded that elevating the house was the best solution. 

In August 2022, CWC awarded a $18,177 grant for design costs, which included plans to build a new crawlspace at least two feet high with an overall foundation height of over six feet tall. The foundation will also incorporate flood vents to allow water to safely pass through in the event of a flood. 

A grant for the construction work in the amount of $161,947.50 was approved by CWC following the completed design. Wolfe House Movers began construction in December 2024 and involved lifting the home off its old foundation, removing and replacing it with a new flood-resistant poured foundation, and moving all utilities into a mechanical room above the base flood elevation.

Situated within the Batavia Kill floodplain, this elevation project offers a range of significant benefits. Beyond advantages for the immediate property owner, the initiative will enhance the property's long-term viability, support ongoing occupancy, and reinforce its contribution to the tax base. Furthermore, these benefits extend to the region's vital water resources, safeguarding the overall quality and reliability of water not only locally but also for millions of residents in New York City and neighboring communities.

“This elevation is just one of many successful flood hazard mitigation projects funded throughout the Watershed,” said Flood Hazard Mitigation Program Manager, Joseph Bacci. “Our program supports a variety of projects, including anchoring fuel tanks, property elevations or flood proofing, public infrastructure improvements such as bridge and culvert replacements or upsizing, stream bank restorations, and other flood protection measures.” 

Many CWC flood mitigation initiatives require that the host community must have conducted and adopted a Local Flood Analysis (LFA) which provide formal project recommendations. Ashland completed their LFA in November 2018, recommending property protection measures for structures located in the 100-year flood plain. In addition to Ashland, 25 other communities throughout the Watershed have completed LFA’s, recommending countless eligible projects for community resiliency and water quality protection. CWC encourages all those living in historically flood-affected areas within the watershed to check if their municipality has had a Local Flood Analysis (LFA) conducted at  https://catskillstreams.org/lfa/, and to scan through it to see if any flood mitigation strategies are recommended for their home or property. If it is, there is a good chance that the CWC can help fund it. 

Property owners and municipal leaders in the West-of-Hudson Watershed are encouraged to contact CWC for more information about grant opportunities to help protect their communities against future flood damage.

The Catskill Watershed Corporation is a locally based and locally staffed non-profit Local Development Corporation responsible for environmental protection, economic development, and education programs whose members are the towns in the New York City Watershed West of the Hudson River. www.cwconline.org