GOOD WATER

In Development. Documentary, 60 minutes. Produced & Directed by Matt Landfield.

THE FILM IN BRIEF

New York state is blessed with abundant water. For thousands of years, plentiful fresh water has flowed through the watersheds of the Catskill mountains, supporting spectacular natural landscapes, wildlife and rural communities. Due in part to the blessings of geography, and to strong longterm planning by water engineers of the industrial era, New York has plentiful, clean water. 

Climate change presents new challenges to the integrity of New York’s waterways. First, as the climate warms, more intense storms and rain events are affecting communities all over the state. Floods, erosion and increased runoff threaten communities in many watersheds, inundating settled areas, and putting new pressure on old infrastructure. 

More than that, the rural economies of many Catskill watersheds have struggled over the past fifty years, as demand for local food production declined and jobs left the area. Can rethinking how rural communities interact with New York’s waterways help change the trajectory and prospects of rural New Yorkers, and improve the landscape’s resilience to climate change at the same time?