Map courtesy of Gary Wall and Elizabeth Nystrom, USGS. 

Troy, N.Y. — The final link of the first major cooperative research initiative of the Rivers and Estuaries Center on the Hudson was put in place today as researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute introduced a real-time water monitoring device into the river at Lock 2 of the Champlain Canal in Mechanicville, N.Y.

The project — called “Riverscope” — is coordinated through the office of the Rivers and Estuaries Center on the Hudson established by Governor George E. Pataki and located in Beacon, N.Y.

It is a joint effort with the Center’s Upper Hudson Satellite, managed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Center’s Lower Hudson Satellite, managed by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) at Columbia University.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Erin Crotty, Art Sanderson, on behalf of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and John Mutter, on behalf of LDEO, joined Rensselaer’s Upper Hudson Satellite Center researchers at today’s announcement.

“As we foster the continued restoration of the Hudson River and meet the ambitious goals Governor Pataki has set for its resurgence, science and research will be important components to help shape the policies and programs to improve the health of this majestic waterway,” Commissioner Crotty said. “The Riverscope project will provide researchers and the public with a unique look at the river and allow us to collect invaluable information that will help shape the future of the Hudson.”

“Riverscope is a first step in achieving one of the primary goals of the Rivers and Estuaries Center: to make the invisible Hudson visible,” said John Cronin, managing director of the Rivers and Estuaries Center. “With the ability to know and see what is happening while it is happening, we can bring the living Hudson River to the desktops of researchers, students, decision makers, and the public. We will accomplish that with cutting-edge technology and cutting-edge talent, both on abundant display here at our partner institution, RPI.”

“Working cooperatively with our partners, Rensselaer is putting the advanced technology infrastructure in place to develop the science that is often a critical component of public policy decisions regarding the Hudson River ecosystem,” said Rensselaer Provost G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “Just as the Hudson River is all one system, linked together, now so are we.”

Five acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) particle-sensing devices are now strategically placed along the Hudson River to enhance the research of scientists performing remote monitoring and observation of the river’s physical, chemical, and biological systems. The devices are located in Piermont Pier in Rockland County, Haverstraw, Poughkeepsie, Albany and Mechanicville. Rensselaer researchers are also placing a vertical profiling system at the Lock 2 site to measure water chemistry. The monitoring devices will measure conductivity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and pH, as well as other data. The data will be available to researchers studying chemistry, sediment transport and mixing, and the dynamics of water.

“We will be gathering information all along the river using advanced technology, while constantly looking for ways to improve data gathering and sharing of analysis results,” said Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer, chair of the external advisory committee of the Upper Hudson Satellite Center, director of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute, and professor of biology at Rensselaer. “Our goal is to create a networked infrastructure of environmental field facilities for use by a diverse community of scientists, educators, regulators, and the general public.”

Rensselaer researchers are planning to use the data collected to create real-time 3-D visualizations of the Hudson River to be integrated into interactive multimedia software allowing virtual tours of the testing areas. The data is scheduled to be available online in September of 2004. While now each site collects data independently, eventually fiber-optic cable will be used to link the monitoring sites along the river from Staten Island to Troy. The system will develop real-time data using remote instrumentation to capture both short-term events on the river and monitor long-term change.

Rensselaer researchers involved in the project include Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer, Richard Bopp, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, Don Millard, director, Academy of Electronic Media, Ted Shuster, research associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, Damon Chaky, post-doctorial research associate in the department of earth and environmental sciences, and John Wimbush, program assistant at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute.

The Riverscope project is funded by a $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency STAR (Science To Achieve Results) grant. United States Geological Survey is also participating in the project and owns and operates the ADCP device located in Poughkeepsie. In addition, Rensselaer has received National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to support its RiverNet project to link sensors into a network that, in conjunction with Riverscope, will further expand the capacity to gather and analyze data from the river.

Contact: Mary Cimo
Phone: (518) 687-7174
E-mail: cimom@rpi.edu