The Hudson River

Estuary

Selected Concepts
Physical Processes
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Glaciation
Erosion
Deposition
Episodic Events

Biological Communities
Human Modification

Wisconsin Glaciation

Ice Ages - 6 million to 10,000

YBP
At maximum, the ice was three
kilometers thick and covered
the Adirondack and the Catskill
Mountains.
The ice sheets scraped away
bedrock and soil and reshaped
the landscape.
Recession started about
21,000 years ago.
The glaciers deposited a
dense mixture of sand, gravel,
and clay, (glacial till) up to 50
meters thick.

http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2003NE/finalprogra
m/abstract_50391.htm

http://www.skidmore.edu/sssg4/environment/geology.htm

Lake Albany

13,400 YBP

http://www.whoi.edu/mr/pr/image.do?id=4135&aid=2078
www.whoi.edu/mr/pr/image.do?id=4135&aid=2078

Glacial Lake Albany occupied

the Hudson River Valley from
Poughkeepsie to Glens Falls.
In this area, the shore of the
lake was found at the 450 foot
elevation contour.
Sediments from the glaciers
were deposited in Glacial Lake
Albany.
Water eventually worked its
way through a dam near
Poughkeepsie, and Glacial
Lake Albany drained to the
Hudson River.
http://www.skidmore.edu/sssg4/environment/geolog
y.htm

Erosion

Set of processes by
which soil and rocks
are moved downhill,
downcurrent, and
downwind
Can be accelerated or
decelerated by
human actions

Weathering
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Physical
Chemical
Biological

Movement
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Gravity
Wind
Water Flow
Waves
Wind
Vessels

Ice

Wentworth Scale of Particle Size

Velocity, Erosion, and

Sedimentation
Hjulstrom Diagram
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SandSand-size
particles are
most erodable
(erode at lowest
velocity)
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For small
particles,
transport
velocity much
less than
erosion velocity

Estuary Water Movement

Green Island Flow
1946-2003
1

Freshwater inflow
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0.8
Frequency

0.6

Upper Hudson (~60%)

Mean 12,500 cfs

0.4
0.2
0
0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000

CFS

Tidal Flow
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+/+/- 200,000 cfs @ PK

Wave Motions

Particles in a wave travel circular paths

The water in a deepdeep-water wave does not move
forward
Below wave base, wave effects are negligible

http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EarthSC202PowerPoint/Wave%20Erosion%20and%20Marine%20Geology.ppt

Wave Impacts at Shoreline

Water depth < wave depth
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Bottom of wave slows

Top of wave spills or breaks

Wave imparts energy

to sediments and structures

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Potential energy (height of wave)

Kinetic energy (mass x velocity2)

Can erode or deposit material

Wave Generation
Wind
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Shear stress of wind on water surface

Wind velocity
Fetch Distance wind has to act

Vessel
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Displacement of water
Large and small vessels

Shoreline Ice Pack

Ice Scour
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Sediments
Vegetation
Benthos
Damage
structures

Sedimentation of the Estuary

The estuary formed

nearly 6,000 years
ago.
In places, sediment
deposits beneath the
estuary are more than
700 feet thick.
Currently near
equilibrium, ie input =
output
http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/news/2004/story02http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/news/2004/story02-0505-04.html

Sedimentation

Annually 1.2 to 5.6 million metric tons of silt and

fine sediment enter the river
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Areas of new accumulation only occurs in

localized areas (scour areas, dredged areas)
Dynamic
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0.3 million MT trapped in the Estuary Turbidity

Maximum region (near GW Bridge)
0.05 million MT trapped in bays, bends, and river
bottom

Deposition interrupted by scour events

http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/news/2004/story02http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/news/2004/story02-0505-04.html

Episodic Events
Large effects on Estuary
Erosion and Deposition
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Precipitation
Storm Surge
Waves
Ice jams (floods & scour)

Nutrient Inputs and Removal

Examples

Hurricane Floyd
September 16, 1999

9/16 Chesea, HRM 65.2; The storm surge from tropical storm Floyd
moved up the Hudson. Low tide at midday was indistinguishable from
a normal high tide - the tide never went out. At dusk, a 50 mph
sustained northeast wind was blowing straight down the Hudson
pushing the river over its banks. Phyllis Lake in HR Almanac Vol VI
9/25 New Hamburg, HRM 67: Todays high tide, enhanced by the
effects of the full moon, coupled with the high and roily runoff from
Floyd, had Wappinger Creek up in the trees. Tom Lake

Noreaster
December 1992

Storms
May 1984
Water Level
5/27/84 - 6/04/84
Albany
25

Haverstraw Bay

20

Ft

15
10
5
0
-5
5/27

5/28

5/29

5/30

5/31

6/1

6/2

6/3

6/4

Ice Jams
January 1996
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/aly/photos/photo.htm
Green Island Flow
150,000

Flow (cfs)

125,000
100,000
75,000
50,000
25,000
0
1/10

1/17

1/24

1/31

2/7

A 1/21/96 NWS Flood Statement

reported that the large ice jam on the
Hudson River in Catskill, NY is
located between the Rip Van Winkle
Bridge and the confluence with the
Catskill Creek.
http://zircon.union.edu/Mohawk_ice/2000_jam.html

Ice Jams
March 1936

The Middletown Press on Friday, March 13, 1936,

"Tons of ice, released when jams in the upper
Hudson and the Mohawk rivers broke yesterday,
piled up today near Castleton, creating a grave
threat to the safety of communities along the lower
Hudson.

The Castleton jam backed up water as far North as

Albany, which was inundated along the river front to
a depth of two to three feet."

10

Trend in Sea Level

2.77 mm/year
0.9 ft/century

Ecological Communities
Edinger et al. 2002
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/heritage/draft_ecny2002.htm
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/heritage/draft_ecny2002.htm

Natural
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Tidal River
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Freshwater (Salinity < 0.5 ppt )
Subtidal aquatic bed
Tidal marsh
Tidal swamp
Intertidal mudflats
Intertidal shore
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Brackish (Salinity > 0.5 ppt)
ppt)
Subtidal aquatic bed
Tidal marsh
Intertidal mudflats
Intertidal shore

Cultural / Artificial
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estuarine submerged structure
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estuarine channel/artificial
impoundment
estuarine impoundment marsh
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estuarine dredge spoil shore
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estuarine riprap/artificial shore

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Habitats
Shallow basin and backwater areas
Exposed shoreline
Shallow shore zone areas with rooted

aquatic vegetation
Deep water areas with relatively high
velocities -

Shallow Shorezone with Rooted

Aquatic Vegetation

Natural or artificial
Plants depend on the degree of inundation,
salinity, and nearby terrestrial communities
Provide cover and protection for invertebrates
and small fishes (mummichog, killifish, and other
shallow-water species)
Include the brackish tidal marsh, brackish
intertidal mudflats, freshwater tidal swamp,
freshwater tidal marsh, freshwater intertidal
mudflats, and estuarine impoundment marsh
communities

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Exposed Shoreline

High energy environments

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Fauna
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wave action and ice scour are more severe than for the deeper
aquatic beds
organic matter is scoured
primarily sand and gravel substrates
less vegetated than the aquatic bed communities, although
some of the same species may be present.
Invertebrates - isopods, amphipods, mollusks, zebra mussels
(FW)
Fishes - striped bass, white perch, American shad, blueback
herring, and alewife.

Include brackish and freshwater intertidal shore

communities, and the estuarine riprap/artificial shore
community

Shallow basin and backwater

Freshwater or brackish subtidal aquatic bed communities

Low energy
Low current velocity
Promote settling of suspended organic matter and finer sediments.
sediments.
Freshwater
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Vegetation - water celery, pondweed, waterweed, naiads, water chestnut and
Eurasian milfoil
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Invertebrates - oligochaetes,
oligochaetes, isopods, amphipods, and chironomids
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Fishes - primarily young, of white perch, spottail shiner, striped bass, various
members of the sunfish family, and others
Brackish
Vegetation - sago pondweed, horned pondweed, waterweed, coontail,
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coontail, and the
exotic Eurasian milfoil
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Invertebrates - The same groups of invertebrates, although typically different
species, but also decapods (crabs) and mollusks .
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Fishes - striped bass, and bay anchovy
Birds - canvasback duck, bufflehead, common goldeneye,
goldeneye, merganser, greater scaup,
scaup,
snowy egret, and great blue heron
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Deep water areas with relatively

high velocities

Tidal River community

High Energy
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Turbulent currents that keep sediments in suspension

Bottom - hard or soft
Little vegetation

Fishes - Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, hogchoker,

hogchoker,
American eel, Atlantic tomcod, American shad, blueback
herring, alewife, bay anchovy. Some species, such as
striped bass,and American shad are pelagic spawners,
spawners,
which release their eggs in these areas and the eggs
and early larvae drift in the water currents until they have
developed swimming capabilities.

Human Modification
Attempt to retard, halt, or reverse the

natural processes
Improve the environment to suit human
needs
Often has unintended consequences
Began with human habitation of the valley
Continuing

14

Fill and Railroads

Tivoli Bays

The North Bay has been

largely filled with a freshfreshwater tidal marsh since
1900, while the South Bay
is now almost filled with
sediment.
The neck of land
connecting Cruger Island
to the mainland was a
natural wetland prior to
construction of a
causeway circa 1835 for
vehicle access.
http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/hvrr
http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/hvrr
/funk.htm

Dams & Navigation Locks

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Hardened Shorelines & Industrial

Development

Recreational Boating

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Shoreline Modification

Dredging and Spoil Disposal

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Invasive Species
Mills et al 1996

113 nonnon-indigenous species of

vertebrates, vascular plants,
and large invertebrates
10% of exotic species have
major ecological impacts

Significant impacts
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Plants
Curly pondweed
Watercress
Water chestnut
Water milmil-foil
Purple loosestrife
Fish
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Carp
Brown trout
Northern pike
Rock bass
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
Black crappie
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Invertebrates
Mud bithynia
Zebra mussel
Crayfish (5 species)

State of the Estuary

Present
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Natural, longlong-term processes

Episodic events (natural and manman-assisted)
ManMan-made alterations

Future
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Natural, longlong-term processes will continue

Episodic events will continue
Alterations can be designed to restore communities
and habitats to a more natural state while maintaining
human uses

18

In the long run, nothing is as

futile as trying to resist
shoreline change.
Change can be resisted for a
while, but when the water wants
something badly enough, it will
come in and take it.
http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EarthSC202PowerPoint/Wave%20Erosion%20and%20Marine%20Geology.ppt

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