HRE designated an Estuary of National Significance in 1987

USACE Authorization: 25 Mile Radius from the Statue Of Liberty in 1999

CRP released in 2009 and serve as Master Plan for identifying regional needs and opportunities across al authorities

11 Target Ecosystem Characteristics (TECS) and 8 sub-regions

adopted by HEP as the Master Plan for Habitat restoration.

CRP Work Group provides technical guidance

HRE Study Area and Authorization:

Enhance the health and connectivity of tributaries to estuary

~1600 miles of Streams

ID Impediments/Degradations and opportunities for restoration

Sub-Work Group from CRP Workgroup formed to provide technical guidance to one aspect: Physical barriers to fish migration and spawning ability.

Tributary Connection TEC

List all national authorities…why HRE is USACE important

HEATHER

Steinberg et al. , 2004. Health of the Harbor.

Identifying Opportunities for Barrier Removal and Fish Passage Improvements within the Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Presented by Diana Kohtio, USACE

June 5, 2012

Target Species

Images: NYS DEC- http://www.dec.ny.gov/ASMFC 2012 River Herring Stock Assessment

Target Species

DataSources: Pisces Conservation LTD. 2008NYS DEC- http://www.dec.ny.gov/

American shad

striped bass

blueback herring

alewife

Impaired Water

Tributary Connection Opportunities

Identify and Map Physical BarriersAttributes:LocationOwnerDam TypePurposeYear CompletedYear Modified

Dam Sources: National Geospatial Agency,USACE National Inventory of DamsNYDEC Dam SafetyNJDEP Dam SafetyUSACE National Inventory of Levees

Culvert Sources: USGS National National Hydrographic Dataset (NY, NJ)

Dam LengthDam HeightMax DischargeHazardSpillway TypeCondition

Watershed Impacts

• EPA Storet: EPA's repository of water quality monitoring data collected nationwide by water resource management groups.

• USGS Stream Gage: Continuously recorded physical and chemical characteristics.

• EPA 303 (d): Impaired waters data lists water ways too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the state water quality standards.

• DEP Known Contaminated Sites: Sites where contamination of soil or ground water has been confirmed at levels equal to or greater than applicable standards.

• USACE National Inventory of Levees

• State and Local CSO inventories

Habitat- Water Quality & Hydrology

USGS Land Cover and Land Use: Data activities range spatially and temporally, from local to global scales and includes historical, current and future timeframes.

USFWS National Wetlands Inventory: Provides current geospatially referenced information on the status, extent, characteristics, and functions of wetland, riparian, deepwater, and related aquatic habitats in priority areas.

Habitat- Existing Habitat

Zich, H.E. 1977. The Collection of Existing Information and Field Investigations of Anadomous Clupeid Spawning in New Jersey. NJ Department of Fish, Game and Shellfisheries.

Byrne, Don. 1986. Anadromous Herring Run Restoration. NJ Department of Environmental Protection ; Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife; Bureau of Marine Fisheries.

Durkas, S.J. 1991. Impediments to the spawning success of anadromous fish in tributaries of the NY-NJ Harbor Watershed. American Littoral Society.

Durkas, S.J. 1993. A guideline to restore anadromous fish runs in selected tributaries of the NY/NJ harbor watershed. American Littoral Society.

Schmidt, R.E. and Cooper, S. 1996. A Catalog of Barriers to Upstream Movement of Migratory Fishes in the Hudson River Tributaries.

Halavik, T and Orvis, C. 1998. Report to the Hudson River/New York Bight Ecosystem Team Fish Passage Subgroup. US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Historic Reports

Next Steps – Migratory Barriers

• Complete merge of barrier databases to achieve a comprehensive list of dams, levees and culverts within the HRE Study Area.

• Develop a scalable algorithm to identify the most relevant fish passage restoration opportunities amongst this comprehensive list.

• Based on habitat, biological (eg. life history needs, potential behavioral issues, swimming performance), structural and landscape attributes-

• Can be built upon (if further funding and data become available in the future)

Next Steps - HRE

• Final CRP updated/expanded restoration Opportunities Master Plan to guide regional Planning

Across all authorities/programs restoration, preservation and mitigation

• Draft Feasibility Report Recommended Opportunities for Corps Implementation

Subject to NAD/HQ and Agency/Public Review

• Final Feasibility Report. Goes to Congress for programmatic Authorization Specific Restorations implemented as Sponsors/Funds

allow

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