Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

In This Issue:

• An Accessible Hudson River: 2021 Highlights
• Flood Resilience Handbook for Public Access Sites Along the Hudson
• Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Makes Progress on the Tidewater Center
• Milton Landing Pier and Park Opens

An Accessible Hudson River: 2021 Highlights

Today, nearly every community along the tidal Hudson has some form of access to the river. DEC’s Estuary Program, with state and local partners, are now working to improve the accessibility of existing river sites so that everyone, including people with disabilities, families, older adults, and people in disadvantaged communities, can enjoy inclusive and positive activities along the Hudson. We also are helping communities improve the resiliency of their docks, boat launches, and facilities to address flooding and sea-level rise now and into the future. The 2021 – 2025 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda outlines these goals.

In 2021, the Estuary Program awarded $269,716 for six River Access grants, five of which will serve EJ communities. The following stories share progress made during 2021 at two sites, the Arm-of-the-Sea’s Tidewater Center in Saugerties, and the Milton Landing Park and Pier in the town of Marlborough. Through a partnership with NEIWPCC, we also helped develop the Flood Resilience Handbook for Public Access Sites along the Hudson River from Troy to Yonkers. 

Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Makes Progress at the Tidewater Center

At a long-abandoned industrial site on the tidal Esopus Creek, the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater  is slowly transforming the ruins of a 19th century paper mill into a performance venue called the Tidewater Center, adjacent to Tina Chorvas Memorial Park in Saugerties. With funding from the NY Rising/Storm Recovery Program, an access road to the site was built, the ruins fenced off, and 125’ of the shoreline’s bulkhead rebuilt along the creek, creating a new public fishing area. A master plan was developed and received approval from the Village of Saugerties Planning Board in 2020.

Last summer, with Estuary Access Grant funding, the Arm-of-the-Sea took an important step toward restoration of the site by capping the publicly accessible grounds with two feet of clean fill. This work allowed the Tidewater Center to open to the public for four outdoor performances of the Esopus Creek Puppet Suite in August. Nearly 1,250 people attended the performances, which feature live music and large-scale mask and puppet characters.

Future plans for the Center include a covered, open-air performance venue in the site’s historic ‘coal bin’ structure, additional access along the creek’s edge - funded by an Estuary Program grant - and an educational waterworks playground for children.

Milton Landing Pier and Park Opens

In early September 2021, the Town of Marlborough opened the Milton Landing Pier and Park, the first public access to the river in many years. The pier and park project began in 2009 with the purchase of lands along the Hudson that formerly served as a deep-water petroleum transfer and storage facility. In 2017, the town began a two-phase project to restore a 300-feet-long pier that had accommodated large cargo ships until 1999. It had since sustained damage from storms and ice and had fallen into disrepair.

With Estuary Grant funding, the town hired consultants to assess the structure, develop construction plans and cost estimates, and secure the necessary state and federal permits needed to undertake repairs. With permits and plans in hand, the town then secured an Empire State Development grant for $313,000 to complete the pier’s restoration.

Now, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and other large vessels that travel the Hudson can safely dock in Milton. The Milton Landing Pier and Park, a designated Hudson River Greenway Water Trail site, also includes a restored historic railroad station, and areas for kayaking, fishing, picnicking, and river viewing. An Estuary Program access grant awarded in 2021 will help the Town of Marlborough further improve the site with an accessible kayak dock and launch.

(Photo courtesy of J. Wein)

Flood Resilience Handbook for Hudson River Public Access Sites

In 2021, The Estuary Program released the Flood Resilience Handbook for Public Access Sites Along the Hudson River from Troy to Yonkers to assist owners and site managers of public river access sites in adapting their facilities to existing and predicted flooding. Today, more than 100 public access sites, including parks, preserves, boat launches, and fishing piers along the shores of the tidal Hudson provide outstanding recreational, scenic, and economic value to the Hudson Valley. However, climate models project the estuary’s water-levels may rise several feet by the end of this century, threatening the condition and viability of many of these shoreline facilities. Sea-level has risen six inches in the last 50 years, and today, low-lying sites regularly experience flooding during exceptionally high tides or periods of intense rainfall. Tropical storms Ida and Henri in August and September 2021, as well as previous storms, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, Superstorm Sandy, and other seasonal nor’easters have destroyed infrastructure, caused erosion, and damaged recreational resources. More frequent and intense storms are predicted to occur in the future. By planning and implementing resilience strategies and public outreach plans, site managers can address vulnerabilities and continue to provide access under changing conditions for years to come.

The handbook provides guidelines to begin planning for resilience, including strategies to reduce damage, costs, and other consequences associated with flooding and the effects of climate change. Many aspects of this handbook are relevant to the region’s private boat clubs and marinas as well. The geographic focus of the handbook is the Hudson River estuary and its tidal tributaries in the 10 counties of the Hudson Valley. Read the handbook on DEC's website. The Flood Resilience Handbook was produced by WSP with funding from NEIWPCC in partnership with DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program.