New York State Banner
D E C banner
D E C banner

Lands and Waters

New York has an astonishing wealth of land and water resources.

  • Millions of acres of forest lands, some forever wild and some harvested for wood products
  • Hundreds of miles of coastline, with estuaries and ocean beaches
  • Plentiful water in 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, some 4,000 lakes and ponds, 2.4 million acres of wetlands, and over 210 billion gallons of groundwater used annually
  • Mineral richness in underground deposits - New York State ranks in the top third of the states in value of hard mineral production
  • Unmatched open lands for public use - some 4 million state-owned acres, and the largest area of protected lands east of the Mississippi
  • Special resources with scenic beauty, ecological importance and historic interest, including the Hudson River, Niagara River, Great Lakes and Finger Lakes

To care for these diverse resources, DEC uses regulation, scientific study, planning, technical assistance and land acquisition. For landowners, local officials, businesspeople, householders, the regulated community, students, teachers and all citizens, the department provides information about resources, how to protect them, and how to participate in department programs.

This website brings together much of this information. It also shows some of DEC's resource management techniques, and provides opportunities for individuals and groups to give input for planning and management for the future of our lands and waters.

More about Lands and Waters:

  • Forests - Programs to manage and protect New York State's privately and publicly owned forest lands
  • Open Space - New York's Open Space Conservation Plan serves as the blueprint for the State's land conservation efforts. DEC's smart growth program encourages economic growth within the footprint of existing communities.
  • Submerged Heritage Preserve Program - Submerged Heritage preserves are historic shipwrecks and other submerged archaeological resources.
  • Watersheds, Lakes, Rivers - Main bodies of freshwater and their watersheds in New York State.
  • Oceans & Estuaries - Protecting and managing New York State's marine and estuary resources
  • Wetlands - Information on freshwater and tidal wetlands status, protection and mapping in New York State; where to see freshwater wetlands maps
  • Groundwater - Groundwater is a critical source of water in New York State.
  • Dams & Flood Protection - Programs related to flood protection, floodplain development, dam safety, and coastal erosion.
  • Water Supply & Conservation - DEC programs for protecting New York's public water supplies; drought information.
  • Mining & Reclamation - Information about mining in New York, for general audiences and mine owners/operators.