The Hudson River Estuary Program has an approach I can totally get behind. I’m a big believer in getting multiple groups to work together on projects. Especially the community which is why I find the Action Agenda so cool along with the certificates people can study for. That way there is a better variety of input and ideas that can fuel the program. We can’t just rely on scientists. It helps to have support from government agencies and a committee to give guidance. After all, it takes a village, am I right?
Like with many programs, this one seems ambitious – clean water is at the top of the list along with helping the ecosystem and its accompanying wildlife. On page 3, it brought up something I’ve always wondered about – the infrastructure. Exactly how old is our water supply and wastewater infrastructure? Because when I think of it, I think of how it had to have come about when the city was young. I remember discussing in an earlier class that one of the problems with our sewer system was that we haven’t adapted it to hold larger amounts of water during flooding like Sandy.
I, like most New Yorkers, I think, have questioned what exactly is IN the Hudson. Growing up, I was always told that if I swam in it, I’d grow another arm. However, my younger cousins have not grown up with these stories in the papers and gossiped about. Instead, they’re really gung-ho about going out on the water. I’ve gone rowing, fishing, and boating on the river and I feel like the water is a little cleaner than a decade ago. No way am I swimming in it, though.
The cause of this cleanliness? The PCB cleanup that started in 2009 definitely helped. New technology like the HRECOS is an excellent addition to research because its easily accessible data helps scientists see everything that’s going on in the river in one place. That way they have an easier time sifting through data. And once you clean up the water, the rest of the environment seems to perk up, like the bald eagles returning and the fish population being brought back up. Water brings life. This plan seems to embody all that life.
