A 15-year-old girl died after her home was swept away when a small creek became a raging torrent, in June 2006

LIVINGSTON MANOR – A study into the best ways to minimize damage from future flooding along the Little Beaverkill and the Willowemac creeks in Livingston Manor is going to begin now that final state and federal approvals have been secured to spend the money for it.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey secured $796,000 from Congress to help fund this study and other flood mitigation work in the Upper Delaware River Valley.

 “We have been struggling to get an appropriation to fund a study to determine what the needs are going to be to insure that the kind of flooding, in some cases disastrous flooding, that has occurred in the last several years, doesn’t happen again, so that we can upgrade the quality of these streams to prevent that flooding,” he said.

The study will highlight and examine alternatives to help lessen and avoid the serious and recurrent flood damage that hit Livingston Manor in recent years. The study will also consider ecological restoration efforts to protect the nationally-recognized trout fisheries in both creeks.

The study is expected to take 18 to 24 months. Hinchey said he is working to secure additional funds to implement any of the recommendations from the Livingston Manor and Callicoon Creek studies.