MIDDLETOWN, NY — The Wallkill River Watershed Alliance will host the 2026 Wallkill River Summit from 4pm to 8pm on Thursday, November 12th at SUNY Orange's Rowley Center for Science & Engineering at 10 East Conkling Ave. in Middletown, NY.

Open to all, this event marks the Alliance’s first time holding the Summit in Orange County and provides an opportunity to gain expert insights and key updates on the health, history and future of the Wallkill River and its surrounding watershed. While the Summit is free to attend, pre-registration is required as space is limited. Light dinner snacks will be provided. SUNY Orange is offering 3 Professional Development Hours / Continuing Education Credits for attending this event. Registration can be found at: https://givebutter.com/WallkillSummit2026

The summit is supported by the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, SUNY Orange Cultural Affairs, and the Orange County Land Trust.

Presentations and speakers include:

1. Status of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Wallkill - Tony Prestigiacomo, NYSDEC Division of Water (A TMDL is a clean water plan that calculates the maximum amount of a single pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards).

2. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Wallkill River - Bobby Howe, WRWA HABs Monitoring Coordinator

3. Agricultural Flood Mitigation and Riparian Restoration in the Orange County/Pine Island Black Dirt Region - Kevin Sumner, Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District

4. History of the Black Dirt Agricultural Region - John
Ruszkiewicz, Drowned Lands Historical Society

5. Black Dirt Futures - Anne Weber, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

6. Catalyst for Rewetting Black Dirt: Bringing Paludiculture to the Wallkill's Peatlands - Orion Russell Blake, Flooded Farm

The Wallkill River flows north approximately 90 miles from Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey until joining the Rondout Creek in Rifton, New York. Collectively the Wallkill and Rondout watersheds form the second largest tributary to the Hudson River Estuary, second only to the Mohawk River.

The Wallkill River Watershed Alliance was founded to restore the Wallkill River to its prime, to act as the voice of the River, and to advocate for the restoration of its entire watershed. 

For more information about the 2026 Wallkill River Summit, and to register, visit: https://givebutter.com/WallkillSummit2026

For more information about the Wallkill Alliance, visit www.wallkillalliance.org or contact wallkillalliance@gmail.com.