The Fifth Annual Black River Watershed Conference will be held on June 3rd at the Hayloft at Moonshine Farm in Port Leyden, NY.

In the morning, speakers will cover a range of topics including invasive species programs, stormwater and community resiliency, nutrient management and current and ongoing Black River Watershed projects.  An afternoon bus tour throughout the watershed will include stops at the Black River Canal Museum in Boonville, the Lyonsdale ReEnergy Plant, Port Leyden and the Conway Dairy Farm.

Registration will begin at 8 am with speakers starting at 8:20 am and ending with lunch at noon. The bus tour through the watershed will begin at 1 pm and end at 5 pm at the Hayloft

The $25 fee for the conference will cover lunch, refreshments and the bus tour for which  space is limited.  The conference is open to anyone interested in attending. RSVPs are required by May 22, 2015.

The annual Black River Watershed Conference stems from the completion of the Black River Watershed Management Plan in 2010.  It is meant to bring together stakeholders in the Watershed and provide an opportunity to learn about and discuss issues that face the Black River, as well as how to become better stewards of the Black River.

This event is being organized and presented by the Tug Hill Commission, the Lewis and Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation Districts and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 6.

Sponsors include the Beaver River Advisory Council and five Black River Watershed counties (Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Herkimer and Hamilton), which also are part of the larger Finger Lakes Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance.

A registration form can be obtained online at http://www.tughill.org or by calling Carla Luther, Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District, at 315-376-6122.