Hudson River

A large and important river of New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains and flows through the Hudson Valley towards the Atlantic Ocean at New York Harbor. The lower half of the river is a tidal estuary.

Course

The river originates from Henderson Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. It then flows through the towns and cities like Glen Falls, Albany, Hudson, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Peekskill, Yonkers and finally New York City. In New York Harbor the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Transportation & Crossings

The river is crossed by many bridges and tunnels. Many of the larger crossing in the lower Hudson River were constructed relatively recently. The two longest bridges are George Washington Bridge and the New Tappan Zee Bridge. The Lincoln and Holland Tunnels and the PATH and Pennsylvania Railroad tubes serve as underground crossings.

Islands

Many islands have formed within the river. Many of these islands were partially filled to turn them into peninsulas instead. Some of these islands were used to serve as foundations for bridges over the riverbed.

• The Manhattan Island is surrounded by three rivers. The Hudson River in the west, the Harlem River in the north and the East River in the east.

Type

River

State

New York

Native American Names

Ka’nón:no (Mohawk)
Mahicannittuk (Mahican)
Muhheakantuck (Lenape)

Historical Names

Rio San Antonio
North River
America's Rhine

Named after

Henry Hudson

Length

507 km

Hudson river basin map by Shannon1

River Basin

The basin of the Hudson River covers the southern half of the Adirondack Mountains, the Hudson Valley and then narrows down as the approaches the Atlantic Ocean.

Tributaries

Many tributaries feed into the the Hudson River. The largest is the Mohawk river which in turn has many tributaries as well, like Boreas River, Schroon River, Batten Kill, Hoosic River, Kinderhook Creek, Roeliff Jansen Kill, Wappinger Creek, Croton River, Cedar River, Indian River, Sacandaga River, Normans Kill, Catskill Creek, Esopus Creek, Rondout Creek and Wallkill River.
The river has four water falls in its course. These are the Ord Falls, the Spier Falls, the Glens Falls and the Bakers Falls.

Flora & Fauna

The river is rich in life. Zooplankton is abundant in all portions of the river and serves as an important food source for larval and juvenile fish. There are around 220 species of fish in the river today, of which 173 are considered native. This includes both freshwater and saltwater fishes. Their populations are fairly small due to the pollution, but are recovering as only few fishers remain that exploit these populations commercially. Many of the fishes caught are still not save for human consumption.
The rivers floor is inhabited by many Invertebrate species such as flies, worms, clams and crabs. Many of the saltwater species are invasive like the zebra clam and have displaced the native species.

Pollution

During the 20th century the Hudson River was heavily polluted with chemicals from factories in the Hudson Valley. The worst was caused by factories of General Electric by dumping PCBs into the river for thirty years from 1947 to 1977. The pollution caused many animals and plants in the river bed to die out or become poisonous when consumed. Many people and supernaturals living near the river and eating fish or bathing within it became sick and some even died.
Since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 in response to widespread pollution of waterways and lakes in the United States. Since then various efforts to clean up have helped reduce the pollution significantly but many fish caught from the river are still not safe for human consumption.

Supernatural Communities

The Hudson River is home to many communities of Gahongas. Historically they lived on shore of the river and its tributaries from their springs down to the mouth at the Atlantic Ocean. They were broadly separated into three cultural groups:

• Upper Hudson River Dwellers
• Hudson Valley Dwellers
• Lower Hudson River Dwellers

All these groups are considered River Dwellers as they share many cultural traits with others living on the shores on rivers across Northern America. Many decades ago the Upper Hudson River Dwellers communities formed the Northern Hudson River Confederation. They thrive within the Adirondack Mountain Park with plenty of food and habitats to live in.
The Hudson Valley Dwellers and Lower Hudson River Dwellers are less fortunate. They were largely displaced because of humans destroying their habitats and the pollution that made them sick. Many of the valley communities migrated north to join the confederation. These migrants were not accepted with open arms, but most have still found a new home. Other communities moved further away to other rivers that were not as polluted as the Hudson River.
Although a few communities of the Lower Hudson River Dwellers moved north as well, most stayed within New York. Many assimilated themselves with the Undercity Dwellers to find a new home. These communities fight hard to get the river clean enough to once again support their families. In addition, they are lobbying for a special territory for their communities around the Tappan Zee.