The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Hudson River Estuary © The Nature Conservancy

The Hudson River is the defining natural feature of southeastern New York, familiar to millions who drive across its bridges and admire its grandeur from parks and historic sites. 

The estuary, its tributaries, and the lands that feed them are home to more than 200 types of fish, 19 kinds of rare birds, and 140 rare plants. The upper reaches of the estuary are also flanked by extremely rare wetlands that need the tide?s daily floods but cannot stand salt.

A Threatened Landscape

The Hudson River watershed supports same number of people as the state of Colorado, and more than a million new residents are projected in the next 10 years. The density and speed of development in the valley create serious challenges to conservation efforts as habitats are lost or fragmented and pathways for movement are interrupted.

Climate change is not only raising sea level, it is altering weather patterns to subject the valley to more violent storms and protracted drought.

Non-native invasive species such as water chestnut and zebra mussels have altered the food web, impacting the aquatic animal populations, while pollution from myriad sources threatens not only plants and animals but also drinking water, recreation, and commerce.

A Plan for Success

This is an exciting time for The Nature Conservancy, one in which we can make enormous progress toward protecting the fabled Hudson and its surrounding watershed.

• We are working with partners and local residents to implement conservation strategies that will protect globally rare freshwater tidal wetlands and the plants and animals that depend on them.
• We are implementing a valley-wide invasive species management partnership that will help guide invasive species control in the watershed; through early detection, rapid removal, and targeted management of species established in critical habitats.
  We are evaluating barriers to migration for species such as alewife in order to identify future restoration opportunities, including dam removal on critical tributaries.
  In the near future, we hope to bring the tools of coastal spatial planning to the Hudson River to balance the needs of humans and nature.

Partnerships

The Eastern New York Chapter is working closely with many partners to ensure the viability of native species by conserving critical estuary habitats, protecting and restoring the network of tributaries that replenish and nourish the estuary, restoring signature fisheries to their full potential, guiding local development to embrace both economic and environmental vitality, and designing conservation strategies that can succeed in the face of global climate change and rising sea levels.

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