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Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) has announced details of the 2013 Mighty Waters Conference, to be in Troy next Monday, September 23rd at Hudson Valley Community College. Mighty Waters, an initiative started by Tonko in 2010 in an effort to bring communities throughout Upstate New York together for discussions on strategies to maximize the potential of the historic waterways of the Upper Hudson and Mohawk Rivers and the Erie Canal. The conference will be held at Hudson Valley Community College’s Bulmer Telecommunications Center.

Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) will provide this year’s keynote address.  Congressman Castro’s remarks will highlight the development and ongoing enhancement of San Antonio’s River Walk, one of Texas’ most visited and notable attractions.

“I am thrilled to have yet another opportunity to bring a diverse group of stakeholders and strategic thinkers together for an important discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing our communities,”said Paul Tonko. “This year, we will once again work alongside the Environmental Consortium of Colleges and Universities and our partners at New York State Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to find new ways to sustain and improve the environment quality of our waterways, discuss new flood management strategies, and promote economic development and history preservation. We have tremendous partners in state government, who, under the leadership and vision of Governor Cuomo, have expressed a renewed commitment to the Hudson and Mohawk rivers and Erie Canal.”

Last year’s conference included more than 250 participants who have worked together since last year’s conference to develop a new vision for waterfront development, flood mitigation and historic preservation in the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys. This year’s event will build off of that, encouraging participation from unique and diverse perspectives to further develop a collective vision for our region and better shape, define and influence policy at the federal, state, and local level.

A tentative conference schedule is as follows:

4^th Annual Mighty Waters Conference

September 23, 2013

Bulmer Telecommunications Center – Hudson Valley Community College

8:30 – 9:00am            Registration

9:15 – 9:30am            Welcome from Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20)

9:30 – 9:45am            Keynote Address, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20)

9:45am – 12:15pm    Roundtable Discussions:

·        Century of the City: Reshaping our communities to thrive on our water ways once again

New priorities, programs and public interest are reshaping our communities to utilize a natural resource that has been with us for centuries: our rivers. This panel will highlight and explore communities that have successfully leveraged existing assets to reconnect with the source of their original economic strength.

·        After the Flood: Preparing our region for a changing planet

Two years after Irene and Lee, we are still rebuilding with lessons learned and the possibilities of future events in mind. This panel will discuss the unique geographic and geological nature of an interconnected Hudson-Mohawk Basin, the most populated river basin in the nation, and what it means for future development and existing infrastructure. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of State will also discuss their renewed commitment to the Mohawk River corridor through the Mighty Waters Sub Cabinet Working Group.

·        Capitalizing on Historic Connections

The Hudson and Mohawk Rivers boast one of the richest historic traditions in the nation. From the early explorations of Henry Hudson and colonial settlements in Albany, Schenectady and the Mohawk Valley to the engineering achievements of the Erie Canal, our American story is deeply rooted in these historic valleys. This panel will explore the interconnectedness of our communities through a shared heritage of exploration, commerce, invention, decline and rebirth.

12:30 – 2:15 pm      Lunch in downtown Troy

2:30 pm                    Afternoon Tours:

·        Tour One: Hudson River North and Waterford Flight

·        Tour Two: Hudson River South and Albany’s Corning Preserve

·        Tour Three: Spindle City Ramble

         Tour Four: Troy: Silicon Valley of the Nineteenth Century

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