Frances Dunwell K'74, Hudson River Estuary Coordinator at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, spoke to the Hamilton community on November 29. Dunwell's presentation included a slideshow and a history of the Hudson River as well as the plans for implementation of Governor Pataki's Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda to conserve the resources of the Hudson River watershed.
"The Hudson valley is extremely beautiful…it is unlike any other river," began Dunwell. It is a biologically rich and extraordinarily scenic area while supporting a major metropolis. The Hudson has an important history. One-third of the battles of the Revolutionary War were fought on the Hudson as both sides wanted to control the river. It is also the birthplace of American literature. The first American writers to make a living solely on writing, Washington Irving and James Cooper, wrote about the Hudson and used it as a setting in their novels. In colonial times, "The Hudson defined America to the rest of the world," said Dunwell. "It was the icon landscape of America."
After the war of 1812 Hudson began developing as an industrial river. The Erie Canal was built to connect the Hudson to the Great Lakes, which allowed transport of materials and goods. The river provided an easy method of transport, and the water was used for power. "The Iron Industry was extremely significant from the Adirondacks to New York City," said Dunwell. "At the same time people were celebrating its beauty, the Hudson was becoming an industrial area." The industrial uses of the Hudson collapsed in the 20th century with the building of interstate highways.
The Hudson Estuary (part of a river where i's current is met by the tides) is different from other estuaries because it is so long and narrow. It also flows through limestone bedrock, which buffers the river from acid rain. The Hudson originates in the Adirondacks, flows by the Catskills and past the Vanderbilt and Olana estates, through the Highlands, into Haverstraw Bay and past New York City, where, Dunwell noted, "It is an extremely interesting opportunity to observe the relationship of people to nature."
The Hudson was once deemed a "dead river." In 1968, there was so much pollution that there were no fish in the Albany area. Change began in 1962, when the building of a power plant was proposed along the banks of the Hudson. This sparked a 17 year battle, known as the Storm King Case, to prevent the plant from being built. Three major environmental groups -- Scenic Hudson, River Keeper and Clearwater -- formed as a result of this battle and challenged the Federal Power Commission on the basis that the agency had not considered the environmental impact of a power plant. The environmental groups won and the case showed that the state needed a good program to protect the Hudson.
In 1987 the Estuary Law was passed, requiring the state to create a program to protect the river. Governor Pataki presented adopted the first Hudson River Estuary Action plan to address the environmental problems in 1996. The agenda is updated every few years and there has been nearly $368 million applied to the plan to date. The most recent draft was presented in spring of 2005. The main goals of the plan are to recover the river by engaging partners, use science to manage the program and address priority concerns first. There have been dramatic water quality improvements since the 1960s and the Hudson is now swimmable for almost its entire length.
However there are still many problems to be addressed. "Our [specific] goals and targets seek to address these problems," said Dunwell. Current goals include returning the protected sturgeon species to the Hudson by 2016, assure the health and recovery of other fish species, conserve upland and aquatic habitats, expand public understanding by connecting people with the Hudson, restore scenic vistas and manage tributaries and the regional ecosystem because most of the pollution today comes via the tributaries.
"By adopting goals and being clear, we create an opportunity for other groups to join in the effort," said Dunwell. The Department of Environmental Conservation works with local governments, non-profit organizations, research groups and many other organizations to restore and maintain the Hudson. "It is a great opportunity to broaden the impact," said Dunwell in closing.
-- by Laura Trubiano '07
