OR&R at Hudson River Estuary Meetings
JUNE 15, 2018 — NOAA participated in two Hudson River estuary meetings on June 7 at the headquarters of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve's Norrie Point Environmental Center.
These meetings connect NOAA to partner and stakeholder efforts that intersect or complement the Hudson River natural resource damage assessment. The Hudson River estuary is tidal for nearly 154 miles between the Battery in New York City and the Federal Dam in Troy, New York and provides habitat for invertebrates, fish and marine mammals under the stewardship of NOAA. Tidal influence extends into over 67 tributaries to head of tide, or to man-made or natural barriers.
The Hudson River Estuary Management Advisory Committee (HREMAC), consists of volunteers appointed by the Commissioner for the New York State Department of Environmental Protection. Established in 1987, the committee meets three times a year to hear presentations by invited guests and discuss matters relevant to New York State Department of Environmental Protection's Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda and the management, protection and use the estuary ecosystem and surrounding environment. Some of the topics covered at the recent meeting were fish consumption advisories, legacy and emerging contaminants, natural resource inventories and conservation planning, the new Hudson Valley ecomapper tool, the Hudson River Comprehensive Restoration Plan, and development and release of the 2020-2025 Action Agenda. The status of American shad and sturgeon spawning habitat will be two of the presentations at the November meeting.
The afternoon meeting was dedicated to barrier mitigation and improving connectivity for fish, wildlife and other resources impacted by dams and undersized or improperly designed culverts. This meeting was a natural extension of a 2014 dam coordination kick-off meeting orchestrated by NOAA Assessment and Restoration Division and Restoration Center in collaboration with NYSDEC Estuary Program, Dam Safety and Water Divisions to bring together a cross section of parties interested in defragmenting habitat, improving water quality, sediment transport, and recreational fishing.
For further information, contact Lisa.Rosman@noaa.gov.