For Release: Thursday, August 19, 2004
Commissioner Crotty, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Announce Rivers Center Monitoring Site
Launch Innovative "Riverscope" Project for Hudson River
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Rensselaer) researchers and the Rivers and Estuaries Center to launch the final pilot site of the Hudson River "Riverscope" Project.
The Riverscope is a real-time monitoring project of the Rivers and Estuaries Center on the Hudson (Center) that will eventually link monitoring sites along the river from Staten Island to Troy. The system will develop real-time data using robotic instrumentation to capture both short-term events on the river and monitor long-term change.
"As we foster the continued restoration of the Hudson River and meet the ambitious goals Governor Pataki has set for its resurgence, science and research will be important components to help shape the policies and programs to improve the health of this majestic waterway," Commissioner Crotty said. "The "Riverscope" project will provide researchers and the public with a unique look at the River and allow us to collect invaluable information that will help shape the future of the Hudson."
The monitoring node will be located in the Village of Halfmoon at Lock 2 on land that is owned by the New York State Canal Corporation. Another node will be located at Piermont Pier in Rockand County and will be run by Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University.
Specifically, the monitoring device will be lowered via a computer controlled programmable winch and will include instrumentation to measure conductivity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, as well as other data. This data will help researchers study the dynamics of water chemistry, sediment transport and mixing.
U.S. Rep. John E. Sweeney said,"A healthy and safe Hudson River benefits all New Yorkers. The success of the Rivers and Estuaries Center is the primary goal of the Hudson River Congressional Caucus, and the Riverscope project is an important part of that goal. I look forward to working with Governor Pataki and my colleagues in Congress as we continue to support efforts to preserve the Hudson's many ecological and cultural resources."
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno said, "The Hudson River is one of New York's most historic treasures and has played a key role in the development of the Empire State and the entire Hudson Valley region. The "Riverscope" project will allow scientists and researches additional opportunities to collect data and study trends in an effort to revitalize and better protect the River's precious natural resources. I applaud Governor Pataki for his steadfast commitment to providing the Hudson with a brighter future."
John Cronin, managing director of the Rivers and Estuaries Center said, "Riverscope is a first step in achieving one of the primary goals of the Rivers and Estuaries Center: to make the invisible Hudson visible. With the ability to know and see what is happening while it is happening, we can bring the living Hudson River to the desktops of researchers, students, decision makers and the public. We will accomplish that with cutting-edge technology and cutting edge talent, both on abundant display here at our partner institution, RPI."
Rensselaer Provost G.P. "Bud" Peterson said,"Working cooperatively with our partners, Rensselaer is putting the advanced technology infrastructure in place to develop the science that is often a critical component of public policy decisions regarding the Hudson River ecosystem. Just as the Hudson River is all one system, linked together, now so are we."
New York State Canal Corporation Executive Director Michael Fleischer said, "The Canal Corporation is proud to offer its assistance to the "Riverscope" project. Under Governor Pataki's guidance, the Center will prove to be a world-class facility used to study the Hudson River Estuary. As stewards of the 524-mile Canal System, the Canal Corporation certainly values the importance of protecting and promoting New York State's historic waterways."
The project is being funded using a $500,000 grant to the Center from the Environmental Protection Agency, secured by Congressman James Walsh and supported by the newly formed Hudson River Congressional Caucus, headed by Congressman Sweeney and Congresswomen Sue Kelly and Nita Lowey. Rensselaer and LDEO are providing in-kind support for the project.
The development of the Riverscope project was specifically called for in the strategic plan of the Center, which was released in July 2001.
Governor Pataki announced his intention to create a Rivers and Estuaries Center on the Hudson in his 2000 State of the State Address. Since that time, the Strategic Plan for the Center has been released and the main center site of Beacon was chosen, with satellite facilities planned for the City of Troy in cooperation with Rensselaer and in Rockland County in cooperation with LDEO. When completed, the Center will be a world-class facility dedicated to the study of rivers and estuaries.
Future plans for the Riverscope system include integration of the data onto the Internet, so that it may be viewed and downloaded by the public.
Restoring the health of the Hudson has been one of Governor Pataki's top environmental priorities. Since 1995, the Hudson has undergone a remarkable resurgence - helped in large part by more than $250 million in State funding targeted for projects to improve the health of the Hudson River, including $190 million for initiatives in the Hudson River Estuary.
Governor Pataki reinforced his commitment to the Hudson in his 2004 State of the State Address, when he set the ambitious goals of making the entire length of the Hudson suitable for swimming, and ensuring that each community on the River has a new or upgraded access point by 2009 - the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage up the River.
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