Climate-adaptive Communities In The Hudson River Estuary

The Estuary Program, Cornell University, and our partners are bringing Climate-Adaptive Design (CaD) studios to flood-prone Hudson Riverfront communities.

By participating in our state's Climate Smart Communities, you can access support, funding and opportunities to save money, reduce greenhouse gases, and become climate adapted.

Cornell Cooperative Extensions (CCEs) are working directly with municipalities to help them complete Adaptation Actions (chapter 7) from the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) certification program.

Adaptation actions include culvert management plans, vulnerability assessments, flood guides for residents and businesses, incorporating climate adaptation into comprehensive planning and more. The partnership also supports municipalities to achieve CSC certification. For events and more information on this project, please visit their website in the right hand column.

New York State provides funding support for communities to adapt to climate change. Please visit our webpage Funding Climate Adaptation & Resilience.

To check for currently available funding, please see the DEC's grants page, the Estuary Program's grants page, and the Estuary Program's main page for our latest RFPs.

Green alternatives to traditional "gray" infrastructure are designed to mimic the natural processes that store and treat stormwater runoff. Please visit our page on Green Infrastructure Examples for Stormwater Management in the Hudson Valley for more information.

More information is available on our Cornell partner website Climate change in the Hudson River Estuary.

Communities can use nature to adapt to climate change by proactively prioritizing and conserving important land and water resources like forests and wetlands.

Green infrastructure can also be applied to shorelines to reduce erosion and flooding. The Estuary Program, with the help of our partners, have released a Coastal Green Infrastructure Research Plan for New York and the Great Kills Harbor Breakwater Study for Staten Island (see "Research on Resilience Strategies" on the right column of this page). The Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines project provides case studies to document the use and benefits of ecologically-enhanced shorelines.

The Trees for Tribs program assists property owners in planting native trees, shrubs and grasses along Hudson River tributaries. This creates a stream buffer that can reduce flooding and improve water quality and wildlife habitat, ultimately helping us to maintain a healthy more climate-adapted watershed.

Many culverts in New York do not have the capacity to pass the amount of water that flows through them from streams during large storms. These undersized culverts may fail, exacerbating local flooding and increasing infrastructure costs. Visit Aquatic Connectivity and Barrier Removal for more information.

The Challenge: Balancing Revitalization Goals with Increasing Flood Risks

"Regardless of the debate over the causes of sea level rise, and the ranging possibilities of its rate, we needed to go through this process of planning for what's become a new normal of larger storms and the flooding they bring… The most important outcome of this is the new relationships, opportunities, and friendships that have been cultivated throughout this process."

- Vincent J. Seeley, President, Village of Catskill

The Catskill Task Force was led by Scenic Hudson and the Consensus Building Institute with assistance from Catalysis Adaptation Partners.

• Catskill incurred $3 million in damage to structures during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy
• Flood resiliency must be linked with economic development of Catskill's downtown area
• Landowner using adaption strategies to retrofit his working barn for flooding

Download the Catskill Task Force Final Report (PDF, 10 MB).

Recent Successes

• Registered all residents with Code Red, a county emergency alert system.

Projects Underway

• Drafting an action plan to implement recommendations
• Drafting a handbook for landowners on best practices to manage flood risk
• Installing high water mark signs on bridge

The Challenge: Reimagining a Village Connected and Exposed to the River

"Piermonters are wedded to the Hudson… we enjoy the river at its best - wondrous, tranquil, and benevolent. We have also borne its fury, overwhelming its banks in nor'easters and tropical storms." - Chris Sanders, Mayor, Village of Piermont

The Piermont Task Force was led by Scenic Hudson and the Consensus Building Institute with assistance from Catalysis Adaptation Partners.

• Piermont is a village on the lower Hudson River, nestled between the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Piermont Marsh and mouth of the Sparkill Creek.
• Piermont is highly exposed and at-risk to sea-level rise and flooding. Models estimate that the village could experience a minimum of $192 million in cumulative flood damage by 2100 if no action is taken.
• During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, 150 homes were flooded, and Piermont suffered more than $20 million in damages. Many business were forced to remain closed for weeks or months.

Download the Piermont Task Force Final Report (PDF, 11 MB).

Recent Successes

• Board of Trustees unanimously adopted final report and recommendations and established the Piermont Waterfront Resiliency Commission (PWRC)
• Received a $35,000 Department of State (DOS) grant to include flood resilience in the update of their Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan

Projects Underway

• Working with first responders to write a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

The Challenge: Evaluate NY Rising Recommendations in the Context of Sea-level Rise

"Stony Point is a vibrant and connected riverfront and hillside community. Our Vision is to preserve our town's history and protect our people and our natural resources while making the community more resilient in the face of future hazards and attracting visitors to ensure an ecologically sound and economically strong future for the people of Stony Point." - Stony Point's Community Vision for NY Rising Program

The Stony Point Task Force was led by Turner Miller Group and Great Ecology.

• Community completed a broad study of flood-risk and adaptation recommendations through the NY Rising program
• Task Force charged with analyzing sea-level rise projections to improve upon their NY Rising Plan and recommended Implementation Projects
• Evaluated alternatives for managing flood-risk to properties on Grassy Point

Download the Stony Point Task Force Final Report (PDF) and the Stony Point NY Rising Plan (PDF, 11.6 MB).

Recent Successes

• Passed new waterfront zoning that calls for applicants to factor new Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs) and sea level rise adaptation into site design

Projects Underway

• Beginning design process for shoreline improvements to ensure emergency access on key roads

The Challenge: Protect Kingston's Historic Downtown Waterfront and Wastewater Treatment Plant from Frequent Flooding

"The findings and recommendations of the Task Force will be instrumental in the implementation of the Climate Action Plan's recommendations as well as contributing directly to the City of Kingston's new Comprehensive Master Plan...part of our effort to improve the quality of life in the City of Kingston and continue to grow as a sustainable community… We have a tremendous opportunity to be a "model" of sustainability, not only for the Hudson Valley but for the entire State of New York." - Shayne R. Gallo, Mayor, City of Kingston

The Kingston Task Force was led by a team including Scenic Hudson, the Consensus Building Institute, Catalysis Adaptation Partners, NYS Department of State, and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

• Kingston has a robust and historic waterfront area that includes the wastewater treatment plant serving the city's 25,000 residents.
• Flooding is not uncommon in Kingston's waterfront area as it is vulnerable to flood waters on three sides: from the Rondout Creek; from storm surge and sea-level rise on the Hudson River; and stormwater runoff resulting from development.
• The City incurred $2.3 million in damage from Hurricane Sandy. if no action is taken, nearly $50 million in flood damage is projected by 2070.

Download the Kingston Task Force Final Report (PDF, 23 MB).

Recent Successes

• City Council unanimously adopted Task Force final report and recommendations
• Received $60,000 DOS grant to include flood resilience in update to their Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan
• Received $25,000 EFC grant to examine long term adaptive planning of wastewater infrastructure

Projects Underway

• Incorporating Task Force recommendations into the new Comprehensive Master Plan and Brownfield Opportunity Area Implementation Plan

The Sea Level Rise Mapper helps communities see future areas of flooding and permanent inundation due to sea-level rise. To use this mapper, please see the "Sea Level Rise Mapper" link found on the right-hand column.

COAST is a sophisticated economic analysis tool that allows for visualizations of the costs of flood damage under different adaptation scenarios. DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program funded the use of the COAST tool.