The Hudson River has been on a remarkable journey. Once very polluted, water quality has vastly improved — the result of 40 years of environmental regulations and advocacy. This is great news for both River wildlife and the large community of boaters that rely on the Hudson River for recreation.
Hudson River Park is one of several organizations that monitors River health. At two locations, Pier 25 and Pier 84, the Park manages weather and water quality stations that continuously measure environmental conditions. Scientists and educators use this information to learn and teach about the environment.
The Park’s River Project has been working with experts to develop a dashboard that makes the collected environmental data accessible to broader audiences. Last year, we were thrilled to receive the “Innovate for Social Impact” award from Cantina, a highly regarded design innovation agency that — among other things — works with organizations to design user-friendly experiences involving complex technology. Through this partnership, and with technical support from Dr. Wade McGillis of Columbia University, we are proud to launch our new water quality model that uses actual and historic data to predict, in close to real time, occasions when water quality is degraded due to pollution events. The dashboard will support the Park’s stewardship and environmental education efforts while also helping non-motorized boaters make informed decisions when water quality conditions are poor.
We invite you to explore our new dashboard to learn more about physical and environmental factors affecting our local water environment. Thank you to all our partners, especially Cantina, Wade McGillis at Columbia University, NYS DEC, USGS and NYC Water Trail Association, for helping to make continuous water quality data more accessible and relevant to the public at large.
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