NEIWPCC employees work at the Hudson Valley offices of two complimentary estuary programs: the Hudson River Estuary Program and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Hudson River Estuary Program
Created in 1987, the Estuary Program helps people enjoy, protect, and revitalize the Hudson River and its watershed. The program – which is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation – focuses on the tidal section of the river from the federal dam in Troy, N.Y. to upper New York harbor in New York City.
The program is guided by an Action Agenda which is updated periodically. The staff and partners work to achieve three key benefits:
- A vital river ecosystem.
- A thriving and resilient watershed.
- People living well with nature.
The Estuary Program uses a collaborative approach to implement its projects and programs, working with a variety of partners to offer support such as:
- Education and training.
- Technical assistance and grants.
- Research, monitoring, and mapping.
- Real-time data through 17 monitoring stations as part of the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS).
Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Research Reserve was designated a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System in 1982 – a network of 30 protected coastal areas managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It’s mission is to improve the health and vitality of the Hudson River Estuary by protecting estuarine habitats through integrated education, training, stewardship, restoration, and monitoring and research programs.
The Reserve encompasses nearly 5,000 acres of tidal wetlands and upland habitat across four federally-designated and state-protected sites: Piermont Marsh, Iona Island, Tivoli Bays, and Stockport Flats.
Reserve staff and partners conduct estuarine research studies of physical, biological and chemical characterizations; ecosystem processes; and exchanges between wetlands and the Hudson’s main stem. These studies provide a solid foundation for all reserve programs, including the Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines Project.
This program is a partnership between New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.