Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

Catch. Count. Identify. Release.

On August 13th, 18 sites along the shores of the Hudson and the piers of Manhattan were busy with activity as groups armed with seine nets, minnow pots, crab traps, and fishing rods took a look at the variety of creatures usually hidden below the surface of the river. The Hudson River estuary and its watershed are home to more than 200 fish species, including several that migrate into the river from the Atlantic Ocean each spring to spawn. Which fish were caught? White perch, young-of-year striped bass, shrimp, blue crab, mummichog, Atlantic sliverside, moon jelly, banded killifish, tesselated darter, spottail shiner, and pumpkinseed--to name a few.

Visit DEC's website for a complete list of this year's catch!

Restored Herring Run Wins Scientific Recognition

The Wynants Kill Barrier Removal Project has been endorsed by the Atlantic Coast Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) for its success in restoring fish passage to spawning habitat. The ACFHP is made up of resource managers and scientists working together to conserve habitat for Atlantic coastal, estuarine-dependent, migratory fish.

This was the first barrier removal project that improved passage for migratory fish in the Hudson River estuary. Reconnecting the Wynants Kill tributary to the tidal portion of the Hudson also improved water quality. DEC egg surveys showed that River herring spawning was occurring upstream of the removed dam, reviving a spawning run in this tributary for the first time in 85 years. Check out the video from the NYS Water Resources Institute to watch the herring.

The 2016 dam removal was funded by the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) through a Hudson River Estuary Program grant to the City of Troy.

To learn more about restoring free-flowing rivers and streams visit DEC's website.