Monthly Report on Water Quality in Hudson River Tributaries

Data from the first round of this year’s sampling in six Hudson River tributaries is available at riverkeeper.org/citizen-data. Note that results presented here are a snapshot in time, and are not indicative of water quality today; we encourage the public to explore the historical data as one way to make informed choices about where and when to enter the water. Click the map below to explore the results, or click through to find data about any of these tributaries:

Catskill Creek
19 sites,
45 miles

Esopus Creek
9 sites,
25 miles

Rondout Creek
17 sites,
43 miles

Wallkill River
21 sites,
64 miles

Pocantico River
13 sites,
10 miles

Sparkill Creek
16 sites,
8 miles

Spotlight: Catskill Creek

Sampling at the Old Stone Bridge in Leeds

Data collected on May 22 is giving us our first look at water quality in the Catskill Creek upstream of South Cairo. Our ongoing partnership with Catskill Creek Watershed Awareness Project at Cornell Cooperative Extension continues into its fourth year, and we’re now working with more citizens to sample 34 additional miles in the Catskill Creek watershed in Greene, Albany and Schoharie counties. The sample taken at the Old Stone Bridge in Leeds was one exception to generally low fecal contamination observed on May 22. In 2012, a Department of Environmental Conservation enforcement resulted in the disconnection of an illegal septic hookup. High counts persist. It’s not clear why.

Riverkeeper’s citizen sampling program is recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative as a Commitment to Action – a plan for addressing a significant global challenge.

GET INVOLVED
Riverkeeper is recruiting more citizen scientists to join our sampling teams on the Esopus Creek, Catskill Creek and elsewhere. For information, contact Jen Epstein at [email protected].

LEARN MORE
Learn more about Riverkeeper’s Water Quality Program:

How’s the Water in the Capital District?
Albany, Tuesday, June 18

Clearwater’s Hudson River Revival
Croton-on-Hudson, Saturday & Sunday, June 21-22

Read “How’s the Water Where You Live?” in Riverkeeper’s 2014 annual journal.