Good Morning Gina,
Today’s news highlights some “Down River” progress, in
Troy:
HERRING RETAKE THE
WYNANTS KILL!
According to the New
York State Water Resources Institute: “In the City of Troy, the first
barrier to fish was removed on the Wynants Kill in early May, and in less than
5 days, alewives had retaken the tributary as spawning habitat for the first
time in 85 years. The City of Troy got a tributary restoration grant from the
NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and removed the barrier, reconnecting over
a quarter mile of spawning habitat for herring, and improving habitat for many
other species including American eel.”
NYSWRI reminds us “Fish and many other organisms use
rivers and streams as pathways to move between feeding, nursery and breeding
grounds. Dams and many culverts are blocking those pathways and dramatically
shrinking the habitat available.”
Literally a
“dead” end to fish spawning
BUT WIN WIN:
“The restoration of historic spawning habitat is an
important component of DEC’s river herring fisheries management plan,” Acting DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said.
“This barrier mitigation project is the first of its kind on a tributary of the
Hudson River estuary and will also help reduce localized flooding and improve
water quality.
SEE “Aquatic Connectivity in the Hudson River Estuary
Watershed”: MANY OPPORTUNITIES https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1yjfPSCYwn7tGtGNU2x5eSZRVWAE&usp=sharing
Life Returns,
Step at a Time
Photo: Erica Capuana / NYS DEC Division of Fish &
Wildlife
John Lipscomb,
Riverkeeper’s boat captain said “We talk about environmental damage as
‘death by a thousand cuts.’ This heals one of those cuts – a really bad cut.
The construction of the Wynants Kill barrier almost 100 years ago cut off a
tributary that was owned by the herring and other species. Now it’s theirs
again. That’s how the Hudson River will recover. That’s how the Hudson will be
restored. By healing one cut at a time. We can be proud of this. And we need to
immediately look for another opportunity.”
Yet another “re-reminder” that taking that first –
perhaps modest – step gets us just that much closer to our goal.
Today herring retake the Wynants Kill…tomorrow “People
Not PCBs” for Mother Hudson?!
TGIF,
Dan