Adds Lake Oscawana and Roaring Brook Lake in Putnam county to the definition of inland waterways

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Pete Harckham and 1 co-sponsor

Adds Lake Oscawana and Roaring Brook Lake to New York’s major inland lakes under executive law §911, extending regulatory protections immediately.

RETURNED TO SENATE

Overview

Official title: An act to amend the executive law, relating to adding Lake Oscawana and Roaring Brook Lake in Putnam County to the definition of inland waterways.

Jurisdiction: New York State Senate

Sponsor: Sen. Rob Rolison (with co-sponsors Sen. Pete Harckham)

Status: Introduced March 18, 2026; referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation. Second reading as of April 22, 2026.

Effective date: Immediate upon enactment.

Purpose and intent

The primary aim is to expand the list of “major inland lakes” defined under New York State law to include two additional bodies of water located in Putnam County:

Lake Oscawana
Roaring Brook Lake

By adding these lakes to the definition, the bill seeks to ensure these water bodies are covered by the same regulatory framework and protections as other major inland lakes.

Key provisions and changes

Amendment to existing list: The bill amends Paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 911 of the executive law. It adds Lake Oscawana and Roaring Brook Lake to the enumerated list of major inland lakes.

Scope of definition: The term “state’s major inland lakes” already includes a long list of lakes (e.g., Cayuga, Canandaigua, Saratoga, Oneida, etc.). The bill inserts Oscawana and Roaring Brook Lake into this list.

Immediate effect: The act takes effect immediately upon enactment, applying to these lakes without delay.

Who/what is affected

Geographical focus: Putnam County, New York.

Affected entities and systems:

Regulatory and environmental programs tied to the “major inland lakes” designation, including protections, oversight, and any state-level programs administered under executive law § 911.
Potentially affected stakeholders include lake associations, local governments, property owners around the lakes, recreational users, and environmental compliance authorities.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Legislative path:

Introduced in the Senate and referred to the Environmental Conservation Committee.
For 2025-2026 session, the bill has progressed to committee and has received two Senate calendar readings as of April 2026.

Implementation timeline: Given the immediate effective date, the designation would apply as soon as the bill is enacted and signed into law, without a phase-in period.

Practical implications (informational)

Adding lakes to the “major inland lakes” category often aligns with enhanced regulatory oversight, potential funding eligibility, or prioritization in state environmental initiatives.

The exact regulatory changes accompanying this designation (beyond inclusion in the list) are not detailed in the bill text; those would be determined by how the executive law is implemented in practice and by any subsequent regulations or guidance issued by state agencies.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to existing provisions in executive law § 911 to highlight concrete regulatory or programmatic differences that result from adding these two lakes.

Bill