Dams in the Hudson
Like many watersheds in the U.S., the Hudson River watershed became heavily dammed over the course of time following settlement by the Dutch, English, and others thereafter. Today, we have a legacy of well over 1,000 dams, culverts, overhangs, and other artifacts that disrupt connectivity in the Hudson's tributaries and even its main stem.
The Hudson Valley community is beginning to have discussions about existing dams. For one thing, many dams are old, some have outlived their expectancy, and some are feared to be derelict such that a good storm surge could take them out. Some dams serve no purpose, save perhaps to please the eye of an owner. Some have historical relevance, and of course some have a useful purpose.
Although interest in habitat restoration via dam removal is gaining traction among practicing managers, the acceptance of these actions by other stakeholders, including upper level management, other agencies, politicians, and the very communities that live near dams in the watershed is largely unknown. We have a project, funded by New York Sea Grant, to study communities and other local stakeholders residing near dams in the Hudson/Mohawk watershed and test the hypothesis that an educational intervention involving systems thinking practices can improve receptivity for dam removal.
Participants: Karin Limburg (PI, ESF); Andrea Feldpausch-Parker (co-PI, ESF); A.J. Smith (co-PI, NYSDEC); Kayla Smith (PhD student, ESF); and Nordica Holochuck is our NY Sea Grant extension/outreach specialist.