Climate disruption has already affected the Hudson River, particularly where its tidal estuary is connected to the sea.
The water temperature of the Hudson has increased by 4 degrees Fahrenheit, the river level by a foot. Storms are more extreme, runoff is more intense, and tides are higher. Rising temperatures are causing stress on fish and wildlife, making them ever more vulnerable to depleted habitat. Drinking water supplies are profoundly challenged by pollutants associated with runoff. Aging infrastructure is overflowing frequently. Extreme flooding and storm surge have cost lives, wreaked havoc on waterfront communities, and damaged water infrastructure.
The most profound, damaging and challenging consequences of unmitigated global warming are still to come, and will damage the river, its watershed and communities, even if all greenhouse gas emissions ceased immediately.
Riverkeeper’s advocacy to address climate change is woven throughout our work, and includes the following strategies and objectives.