Hudson River Estuary Program
Helping People Enjoy, Protect & Revitalize the Hudson River & Its Valley
- Draft Hudson River Action Agenda 2021 - 2025 (PDF)
- 2015 - 2020 Hudson River Estuary Coordinator's Report (PDF)
- 2020 State of the Hudson Report (leaves DEC website)
What is the Hudson River Estuary Program?
The Hudson River Estuary Program helps people enjoy, protect, and revitalize the Hudson River and its valley. Created in 1987 through the Hudson River Estuary Management Act, the program focuses on the tidal Hudson and adjacent watershed from the federal dam at Troy to the Verrazano Narrows in New York City, including upper New York-New Jersey Harbor (see map of Hudson River Estuary Program Boundary (PDF). The program works with many groups to develop knowledgeable and effective stewards of the estuary, using an understanding of the river's ecology as a foundation for its work.
The Estuary Program works to achieve key benefits people receive from a healthy Hudson River:
- A Vital River Ecosystem
- A Thriving Watershed
- People Living Well With Nature: Recreation, Education, and Inspiration
How does the program work?
The program is guided by an Action Agenda, a conservation and restoration blueprint developed with significant community input. The Hudson River Estuary Program collaborates with many partners including nonprofit organizations, academic and scientific institutions, businesses, local governments, state and federal agencies, and interested citizens. The Estuary Program offers a variety of programs to support our partners, including:
- Education and training
- Technical assistance and grants
- Research, monitoring, and mapping
The Hudson River Estuary Management Advisory Committee steers the program, which is built on sound science and principles of ecosystem-based management. The advisory committee includes representatives of the commercial fishing industry, recreational anglers, utility companies, local government, educators, researchers, conservationists and other river users helps engage many representatives of the public in working together toward common goals.
Making A Difference for the Hudson River Estuary
With projects that help manage and restore key species like striped bass and bald eagles, estuary grants have allowed counties, towns and villages in the Hudson River Valley to take ownership of their resources and define the future of their communities while contributing to the overall health and beauty of the region. Cooperation with partners such as the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (leaves DEC website) is key to the Hudson River Estuary Program's success. Read 2020 State of the Hudson (leaves DEC website) for more information on progress to restore the Hudson River Estuary.
More about Hudson River Estuary Program:
- Hudson River Almanac - The Hudson River Almanac is a yearly journal of natural history observations from folks who are excited by what they see on the Hudson and interested in sharing their experiences.
- State And Federal Agencies with Hudson River Programs - Summaries of Hudson River Programs of State and Federal Agencies.
- Hudson RiverNet: Hudson River Estuary Newsletter - RiverNet is the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program's quarterly online newsletter
- Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda - The blueprint for the Hudson River Estuary Program.
- Hudson River Estuary Program Publications - Descriptions and links to publications available from the Hudson River Estuary Program
- Fish of the Hudson River Estuary - General information on Hudson River fishes.
- Teaching About the Hudson River Estuary - Resources for educators, students and families to learn about the Hudson, including outdoor programs, lesson plans, posters, education centers, exhibits, interpretive signs, and descriptions of key river issues.
- Clean Water for the Hudson River Estuary - Water quality information and resources to promote community-based improvements in the health of the Hudson estuary and of the streams and wetlands in its watershed.
- Conservation and Land Use Program for the Hudson River Estuary Watershed - This program develops science-based information about Hudson Valley plants, animals, and habitats and offers it to land managers, landowners, planners, and policy makers for the purpose of conservation.
- Aquatic Habitats of the Hudson River Estuary - Aquatic habitats are vitally important to wildlife and ecosystems as a whole. Learn more about the key habitats of the Hudson River estuary, including shorelines, tidal wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, and the river bottom.
- Access to the Hudson River Estuary - Encouraging Hudson Valley residents to experience and explore the Hudson River whether by foot, on a boat, catching fish, or getting wet is a primary goal of the Hudson River Estuary Program's River Access Project.
- Climate-adaptive Communities in the Hudson River Estuary - The Climate Change Program for the Hudson River Estuary helps communities to adapt to climate change and become more resilient to climate risks.
- Grants Program and Funding Opportunities for the Hudson River Estuary - Hudson River Estuary Program Grants were created to help fulfill those goals of the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda that can be implemented most effectively by municipalities, not for profits, and other local partners.
- Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System - The Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS) is a network of six stations gathering meterologic and water quality data in the Hudson River Estuary stretching from Schodack Point in the north to Castle Point, NJ off from Manhattan in the south.
- Community Science Volunteer Opportunities in the Hudson River Estuary - Hudson Valley citizen stewardship projects that you can get involved in
