Geology and Topography and Natural Resources
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· Peekskill is 4.6 square miles
· Bedrock is composed of granite, gneiss and Schist · Surface rock is till made up of sand, silt, clay and some gravel, which has a low to moderate water capacity · Peekskill's topography is characteristically hilly, with a general slope heading towards the river · The vast majority of Peekskill is urbanized; about 20% is dedicated to grasslands and the city's seven parks and two farms · 90% of Peekskill’s drinking water comes from the Hollow Creek, the remaining 10% comes from independently owned wells |
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· Peekskill has three major waterways, the Annsville Creek, the MacGregory Brook and the Dickey Brook; all three discharge into the Hudson River
· Annsville Creek is located at the North Western Border and feeds into the Griffin Pond and the Peekskill Bay. The creek has a particularly shallow depth, despite being the widest of the three waterways
· Dickey Brook is located at the Southern border of Peekskill and discharges from Lake Mitchell in Depew Park. The brook runs through Lounsbury Pond to Peterson’s Pond, one small unnamed pond, and Peekskill’s only NYS-regulated wetland
· The MacGregory Brok is the largest of three waterways and provides the water for Penelope pone. The brook runs directly through the middle of the City of Peekskill and in places has been forced completely underground by urbanization. Every three to five years MacGregory brook experiences flooding
· Annsville Creek is located at the North Western Border and feeds into the Griffin Pond and the Peekskill Bay. The creek has a particularly shallow depth, despite being the widest of the three waterways
· Dickey Brook is located at the Southern border of Peekskill and discharges from Lake Mitchell in Depew Park. The brook runs through Lounsbury Pond to Peterson’s Pond, one small unnamed pond, and Peekskill’s only NYS-regulated wetland
· The MacGregory Brok is the largest of three waterways and provides the water for Penelope pone. The brook runs directly through the middle of the City of Peekskill and in places has been forced completely underground by urbanization. Every three to five years MacGregory brook experiences flooding
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Precipitation
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· Mean annual precipitation in Westchester County ranks third in New York State, with 49.62 inches
· High rates of snowfall and snow melt play an important role in the County’s overall and water quality, as snow melts increase volume and flow rates of the streams in which they discharge, as well as typically carry sediment and road salts – both harmful to freshwater habitats |
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Temperature |
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The Effects of Global Warming on Peekskill
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· As global temperatures rise, Westchester County can expect to receive increasingly more rainfall and more frequent severe storms. Already we observe “20 year” storms happening every five to seven years
· Findings from the Columbia Center for Climate Systems research indicate that the coastal areas of the Lower Hudson Valley and Long Island could experience rises of 2-5 inches by 2020 and 12-23 inches by the end of the century. With rapid ice melt from glaciers and ice sheets, the rise could be as high as 5 – 10 inches by 2020 and 55 inches by the end of the century. · Per Scenic Hudson’s Sea Level Rise mapping software (featured to the right), mapping 54 inches of sea level rise on the City of Peekskill shows that over 37 acres of land, including of 20 households and 54 family members will be permanently inundated, whereas coastal flooding will consume an additional 40.35 acres of land including 40 households and 104 family members. |
Flooded areas are illustrated with orange color in the map below.
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