The Day in the Life of the Hudson River and Harbor

The Hudson River defines Eastern New York State, running 315 miles from Lake Tear of the Clouds perched over 4000 feet up on the southwest side of Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks, all the way to the Battery at the southern tip of New York City. What is unique about the river is its dynamic character.

  • While the northern half of the river is freshwater fed by snowmelt, groundwater and rain, the southern estuary section is a tidal mix of salty seawater and freshwater.
  • While the northern half of the river flows from north to south, and from high ground to low ground, the southern estuary stretch has been said to “flow both ways” because of tidal influence.

The estuary makes up the lower half of the Hudson River, spanning 153 miles from the tip of the Battery to the Troy Dam. This section of the river experiences dramatic changes in such measures as salinity, circulation patterns, tidal ranges, river width and water depth, fish species, macroinvertebrate communities, and plant communities. These dramatic and dynamic features are what we hope to capture in our annual “snapshot” of the Hudson River in order to put together an image that best reflects the river itself. Students explore three sites along the Estuary during a Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor (DITL) 2021. During the Day in the Life of the Hudson River event, students collect data and investigate different parameters collected at the different sites along the River. Follow up with a Guest Scientist as they take a deeper dive into the tidal processes of the Estuary.  Background information adapted from the DITL website.

Videos

Educational Materials

Student Worksheet

Teachers Worksheet  

NEW Fish and Salinity worksheets, where we used the data collected on DITL 2021 to investigate different phenomena in the River

Is the Hudson a River or an Estuary?, a three part investigation with separate Middle & High School work packets, teacher notes, and supporting PPTs

For more information about the Day in the Life of the Hudson & Harbor event, visit their website. Please reach out to one of the DITL educators to work with your classroom(s). The videos and educational materials linked are publicly available, courtesy of The Hudson River Estuary Program of New York State Department of Conservation and Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.