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Hudson River Estuary Program Watershed Conservation And Stormwater Management Program

The leading source of water quality impairments in surveyed estuaries in the United States is runoff from urban areas. The Hudson River Estuary is no exception. The majority of remaining pollution in the Hudson River and its tributaries is derived from stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces (compacted lawns, parking lots, roofs, driveways, etc).


Water Degradation Table comparing the Hudson River Estuary watershed to nationwide lakes, streams, and estuaries. There is significantly more degradation in the Hudson's lakes and estuary waters than there is in nationwide waters.

Table 1: A comparison of water body degradation in the Hudson
River Estuary watershed to nationwide water bodies.

Protecting river ecosystems and preventing stormwater runoff and flooding are primary goals of the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Division of Water programs. Each provides financial and technical support to local governments, watershed groups, and other community-based partners at the watershed-level to encourage land use decisions that protect streams, rivers, wetlands, and estuaries and make water resource protection and restoration a priority. The Estuary Program also offers specific assistance to those municipalities that are regulated under the Phase II Stormwater Program.

The Hudson River and its tributaries can be considered degraded by pollutant sources other than urban runoff. For a full report of the quality of our Hudson River Estuary waters, see the Priority Waterbodies List for the Hudson Valley

Top 12 Things Your Community Can Do to Protect Water Resources

Many tools are available for communities and community-based watershed groups to protect surface and groundwater resources. Individual communities and community-based watershed groups can focus on some, or all, of the 12 tools listed below in their pursuit of healthy rivers, streams, lakes, and estuary waters or they can cooperate in a shared vision of water resource protection with neighboring communities.

overflowing stormwater pond
A stormwater pond overflows, washing debris and refuse into street drains that eventually lead to nearby streams and rivers.

  1. Reduce the amount of impervious surface in new development
  2. Practice land conservation or conduct acquisition to protect sensitive areas
  3. Create and/or protect stream and wetland buffers
  4. Enact or enforce a strict erosion and sediment control program
  5. Require stormwater best management practices (BMPs) for new development
  6. Restore degraded stormwater systems, retrofit where necessary
  7. Use best available technology for sewage treatment plants and septic systems
  8. Initiate a community-based education and outreach program to landowners
  9. Monitor and assess your water to provide baseline data and identify changes in water quality
  10. Create a local enforcement program for stormwater violations and illicit connections
  11. Develop an operation and maintenance program to reduce pollutant loading from your municipality's buildings, roads and parks that includes training for municipal employees
  12. Work with neighboring communities at a watershed level to implement and accomplish goals.

The State, as well as many local organizations and academic partners, is dedicated to assisting in our shared vision for protecting Hudson Valley water resources. For more information on any of the tools above, please contact the Hudson River Estuary Program.

Funding for Hudson River Water Quality Projects

The Hudson River Estuary Program offers a competitive grants program in five categories:

  • Community Education and Interpretation
  • Open Space Planning, Inventory, and Acquisition
  • Community-based Habitat Conservation and River Stewardship
  • Watershed and Tributary Conservation
  • River Access: fishing, swimming and boating

Each of these categories has its own scoring criteria and geographic requirements. The staff of the estuary program are available to work with applicants to help guide them toward a successful application.

Presentations and Workshops for Your Community

The Hudson River Estuary Program can provide a variety of water resource presentations to community groups, municipalities, and schools. These presentations can be focused on threats to water resources, tools for protecting water resources, or specifically focused on sources of water resource degradation, such as stormwater.

Workshops focused on protecting water resources are frequently supported and provided by the Hudson River Estuary Program and partnering organizations. For up-to-date information on workshops, please contact the Hudson River Estuary Program Office.

Available Factsheets and Publications

Several factsheets and publications are available from the Estuary Program, the DEC Division of Water, and our partnering organizations. The publications included in this list are available free of charge to Hudson Valley municipalities, organizations, and individuals.

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4's)

  • Overview of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Phase II Stormwater Permit Program
  • SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)
  • Guidelines for Completing the Notice of Intent (NOI), Selecting Management Practices, Setting Measurable Goals for the SPDES General Permit (GP-02-02) for Stormwater Discharges from MS4s
  • Better Site Design / Low Impact Development


Buffer encroachment by subdivision

Stream buffer encroachment by a newly
constructed subdivision. Runoff from
the construction site will directly impact
the riparian buffer and aquatic wildlife
habitat.

Construction

  • Overview of the Phase II Stormwater Permit Program for Construction Activities
  • New Requirements for Small Construction Projects
  • Refrigerator Magnets - "Construction activities that disturb one acre or more of land must be covered under a SPDES permit."

General Education

  • Stormwater Runoff: From My Yard to Our Streams
  • NY Project WET - Are You Planning Stormwater Education for Kids in Your Community? NY Project WET can get the job done!
  • Stewardship, Stormwater and You - Watershed Stewardship Report Form and Information

EPA Educational References

  • After the Storm: A Citizen's Guide to Understanding Stormwater
  • Where Does All the Dirty Water Go? Protect the Environment in Our Community - Wastewater Treatment 101
  • Make Your Home the Solution to Stormwater Pollution! - A homeowner's guide to healthy habits for clean water
  • Clean Water: Everybody's Business - 10 Things You Can Do to Prevent Stormwater Runoff Pollution
  • Streamside Stewardship Guide (pdf size=397 Kb, 4 pp)