11. The Hudson Estuary - A Long Arm of the Sea
High and low tides at Poughkeepsie,
New York. Photos courtesy of Hudson
River Sloop Clearwater
From Troy south, the Hudson is a long arm of the sea. Ocean tides pulse up the river, as shown in these photos. In the tidal river, freshwater runoff from the watershed mixes with salt water pushing from the sea.
Native Americans recognized the tidal nature of the river, calling it Muhheakantuck, which means "river that flows both ways." Today we call such water bodies estuaries.
