HRNERR Water Quality Monitoring of

Piermont Marsh and Sparkill Creek

MISSION: To promote stewardship of the Nations

estuaries through science and education using a system of
protected areas

NERRS System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP)

Monthly Sampling
since 1991

Water Quality
Nutrients

Weather

Long term monitoring to

detect the impact of land
use on water quality

Monitoring Rationale

Sparkill Creek Sampling Site

Piermont Marsh Sampling Site

Bertness et al. 2002

Nitrate (NO3): most
significant nutrient to
Phragmites growth

NO3

NO3

NO3

NO3

NORRIE
POINT

Sparkill Creek nitrate is similar to other creeks with developed watersheds, and
higher than creeks with forested watersheds.
Piermont Marsh nitrate is higher than other Hudson River marshes, but within
average main stem river values.

Piermont NO3
47 M
(3.0 mg/L)
Ave Hudson
NO3 = 35 M
(2.2 mg/L)

Hudson River nitrate concentrations

have been decreasing over the last
25 years.

2014 Comparison to Hudson River Water

This years nitrate concentrations

are lower than average across
Piermont Marsh, Sparkill Creek
and the Hudson River off Piermont
Pier.

Acres of Phragmites in Tivoli Bays:

HRNERR Maps from 1991, 1997, and 2005
1991

1997

2005

(Orange is Phragmites)
The calculation of the expansion rates of Phragmites in each marsh was
normalized to a percentage of the initial acreage.
Piermont Phragmites had reached maximum acreage, so showed no expansion.

No correlation between
expansion of P hragm ites
cover and NO3 in
HRNERR marshes

Recap of Main Points

- Nitrate levels in Piermont Marsh are similar to Sparkill
Creek.
- Nitrate levels in Piermont Marsh are not excessively
higher than other HRNERR marshes.
- Nitrate concentrations have been decreasing.
- P hragm ites expansion in HRNERR marshes is not driven
by nitrate concentrations.

Thank You!
Contact information:
Sarah H Fernald
NEIWPCC Environmental Analyst
Research Coordinator
NYSDEC Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
Norrie Point Environmental Center
PO Box 315, Staatsburg, NY 12580
845-889-4745 ext. 111
shfernal@gw.dec.state.ny.us
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