Monitoring

Monitoring is the periodic measurement of a stream water quality parameter with the intent of tracking changes in stream conditions over time. Changes in stream water quality could result from human actions, such as upstream development or even climate change. When researchers measure stream water quality on frequent intervals (for example, every 30 minutes) they are able to record daily changes like temperature and oxygen cycles. Monthly measurements can show seasonal changes; for instance, freshwater streams in the Northeast often have higher levels of salt in the winter months due to the application of road salt. Long-term monitoring is important so researchers may detect slow or subtle changes that might be difficult to observe directly. Additionally, scientists value frequent monitoring because it reveals a pattern of change as opposed to a single assessment that is a snapshot of the stream at a given time.

Monitoring sites on Hudson River tributaries:

• U.S. Geological Survey - Wappinger Creek
  This station is located on Wappinger Creek just before Wappingers Falls, and is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Discharge (in cubic feet per second) and gage height (in feet) are measured. Real-time and daily data are available, as well as daily, monthly, and annual statistics.

• U.S. Geological Survey - Tenmile River
  This station is located in Gaylordsville, CT just after the Tenmile River joins the Housatonic River. Operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, it measures dischrage (in cubic feet per second) and gage height (in feet). Real-time and daily data are available, as well as daily, monthly, and annual statistics.

• Vassar College Environmental Research Institute - Casperkill Creek
  Vassar College ERI operates a sonde stream-monitoring instrument that measures temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, chloride, nitrate, and turbidity in the Casperkill Creek. Measurements are taken every 20 minutes.

• Cary Institute Environmental Monitoring Program - East Branch of Wappinger Creek
  The Cary Institute collects monthly grab samples on two sites of the East Branch of Wappinger Creek. Samples are analyzed for pH, conductivity, discharge, and various ions. Annual and monthly averages are available from 1986 to 2007.

Monitoring sites on the Hudson River Main-Stem:

• Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS)
  The Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS) is a network of real-time monitoring stations on the Hudson River Estuary. The stations are geographically distributed from Schodack Island to the New York/New Jersey harbor and are monitoring river conditions ever quarter hour. HRECOS is operated by a consortium of many partners from government and the research community.

• U.S. Geological Survey - Lower Hudson River Discharge and Sediment Flux
  USGS and the U.S. Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the NYS DEC Division of Water and Hudson River Estuary Program, are working to understand the amount of suspended sediment moving through the Hudson and the timing and mechanisms associated with that movement. This is a first step in reducing the need for and cost of dredging operations. Near real-time data is available for suspended sediment, velocity and discharge, environmental and more from this site.

• U.S. Geological Survey - Hudson River Salt Front Data
  Tide stage, specific conductance, water temperature, and freshwater inflow at selected Hudson River (New York) gages updated every 4-hours and made available by USGS.

• NOAA Hudson River Tide Table

• Beacon Institute River and Estuary Observatory Network (REON) Data
  Observational data is streaming in real time from two sensor arrays in the Hudson River -- the B1 floating sensor array off of Denning's Point in Beacon. There are two fixed sensor arrays -- one near the USGS station at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the newest at the site of Dutch Apple Cruises in Albany, plus a mobile monitoring system.

• Beczak Environmental Education Center Estuary Monitoring Data
  Beczak Center’s Estuary Monitoring System records weather conditions such as air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and rainfall, as well as water conditions in the river including temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen.

• Riverkeeper Hudson River Water Quality Testing
  Riverkeeper conducts a water quality study aboard the Riverkeeper patrol boat. The primary goal of this ongoing project is to characterize and report on the highly variable conditions of the Hudson River Estuary through testing for sewage indicating microorganisms, oxygen and turbidity levels, and other indicators of water quality.