NOAA in the Hudson RiverAssessment Restoration DivisionRestoration Center
October 16, 2015
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 1 Hi. I am Carl Alderson from NOAA’s Restoration Center. Thank you on behalf of myself and my other colleagues from NOAA for attending todays Hudson River partnership meeting. My goal is to provide a brief overview of NOAA’s responsibilities and activities that might be of interest to other Hudson River stakeholders. � �
2Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
Where We Work
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Slide 2 NOAA’s Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) works to protect NOAA trust resources threatened and or impacted by releases of hazardous substances and/or oil and vessel groundings. Examples of NOAA resources include but are not limited to commercial and regional fisheries, migratory fish, marine mammals and turtles, marshes, seagrasses, coral reefs and other coastal, shelf and deep water habitats including the Great Lakes, resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Research Reserves.
3Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
Where We Work
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Slide 3 Our responsibilities for the Hudson River natural resource damage assessments (NRDA) and restoration are established under CERCLA (Superfund or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act). NOAA, USFWS and NYS are the Hudson River Natural Resources Trustees.
Hudson River Restoration Planning
Establish Nexus between Restoration and Injury
Catalog Restoration Opportunities
Develop Restoration Criteria
Select Restoration Projects
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 4 The Hudson River Trustees are determining the nature and extent of the injury, quantifying the magnitude of the injury, and conducting restoration planning. Steps in the restoration planning process include but are not limited to identifying broad types of projects, developing and soliciting ideas for restoration, scaling restoration to the injury, and screening projects against restoration criteria.
Hudson River Restoration OpportunitiesProject Types
Tributary Fish PassageGrasslands
Riparian Wetlands
GroundwaterHydrologic Reconnection
Submerged Aquatic VegetationRecreational/Human Use
Navigational DredgingRestoration Dredging
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 5 Examples of restoration project alternatives under consideration include but are not limited to the list on this slide –ranging from in-water to upland projects benefiting invertebrates, fish and wildlife and the public.
Hudson River Restoration Opportunities Database
Database AttributesLOCATION
OWNERSHIPPRE/POST RESTORATION HABITAT CLASS
FISH PASSAGERESTORATION BENEFITS
CONTACTSDOCUMENTATION
COMMENTS AND CONCERNSPHOTO LINKS
Mapping ProductVideo LibraryPhoto Library
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 6 The Trustees have and continue to compile restoration opportunities into a database for internal use to support the NRDA that has a broad range of attributes including the list on the slide. Some of the cells were populated with publically available information. Other information has been specifically developed for our NRDA, is confidential and not releasable.
Annsville CreekArden BrookBlack CreekBreakneck BrookCasperskillCatskill CreekCedar Point BrookCheviot CreekClaverack CreekCoeymans CreekCopper Mine BrookCoxsackie Creek Croton RiverCrows Nest BrookCrumb ElbowDickey BrookEsopus Creek
Hudson River Restoration Opportunities DatabaseNOAA Tributary Barrier Study
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
Batten Kill Fish Creek Hoosic River
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Slide 7 NOAA has taken the lead for the Trustees on evaluating natural and man-made barriers to fish passage on Hudson River tributaries, primarily focusing on 68 tributaries to the Lower Hudson We conducted a desk top exercise followed by field recons. The area covered extended from the mouth of each tributary upstream documenting extent of current and potential historic range. We are in the process of expanding the upstream range for eel. To date we’ve visited over 270 potential barriers in the Lower Hudson cataloging their passability for migratory fish with a focus on anadromous and catadromous species. A similar effort was conducted for the Upper Hudson.
NOAA Coordination with Partners
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2014: Dam Removal Workshop2015: Tributary Tour
NOAA tributary recon informs list of fish passage barriers
2015: Coordination with TNC on subset of tributary barriers
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 8 These are some examples of how NOAA has coordinated with our partners over the past couple of years, sharing publically available information on barriers to fish passage with Orange County Water Authority, the Hudson River Estuary Program, TNC and others.
NOAA Partnerships: Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative
Calco Dam 2011 Robert St Dam 2012
Nevius Street Dam 2013 Fish Tagging 2014
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 9 This slide highlights NOAA’s role in the Raritan River Fish Passage initiative, experience in dam removal and monitoring of American shad. Three dams have been removed in conjunction with our partners where voluntary settlements were reached by NJ to resolve liability. NOAA and our co-trustees are pursuing additional NRDA settlements under Superfund that could result in additional fish passage projects in this watershed.
Installed 2010
YOY Alewife 2015
Partner Implementation of DARRP Projects
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
Massapequa Fish Ladder
Long Island Diadromous Fish Workgroup
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Slide 10 A NRDA settlement on Long Island where NOAA was the lead resulted in the construction of a fish ladder where dam removal was not an option. Our partners, NFWF and Seatuck Environmental have documented juvenile alewife in Massapequa Creek. It is the first time young-of-the-year fish have been found in the creek since the construction of the ladder in 2010. Their presence is clear evidence that alewives are successfully spawning in the freshwater portion of the tributary, likely for the first time since the creek was impounded more than 175 years ago!
NOAA National TNC Partnership 2001-2009 in NY
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
The Great South Bay Hard Clam Spawner Sanctuary
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Slide 11 Changing focus from NOAA’s DARRP to programs specific to NOAA’s Restoration Center, I am now going to talk about partnerships with TNC and funding opportunities. Starting in 2001, NOAA had a national partnership with TNC through its community based program. One local project accomplished through this partnership was a hard clam spawner sanctuary in the Great South Bay.
NOAA National TNC PartnershipAward Period: 06/01/2015 - 05/31/2020
NOAA and TNC Cooperative Agreement : NRDA cases• NOAA provides overview of the potential project/ecological restoration
objectives• NOAA and TNC develop/approve SOW and budget• Settlement Money obligated to the cooperative agreement • TNC draws down money from the cooperative agreement
Potential Services Provided by TNC• Case dependent• Trustees decide what services needed if any• Post-settlement restoration planning, implementation, monitoring and
oversight
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 12 Most recently, in June of this year, NOAA entered into a national partnership with TNC that extends through the end of May 2020.This cooperative agreement allows NOAA to involve TNC in NRDA cases once settlement has occurred. It is NOAA’s responsibility to identify restoration project objectives and to solicit services from TNC on specific cases. NOAA and TNC develop and approve the SOW and budget. Work could potentially include restoration planning, implementation, monitoring and/or oversight. Funding is from settlement dollars that NOAA might obligate and TNC could draw down from the cooperative agreement.
NOAA Federal Funding Opportunities
Focus: Recover listed species and support managed fisheriesNortheast Priorities: fish passage & wetland restoration
Anticipated Timeline •Late Nov. for 60 days with awards in Spring/Summer 2016
•1, 2 and 3 year project proposals
Eligible Project Activities: feasibility, design, construction, and monitoring
Total Anticipated Funding: ~$9M•Typical Funding Awards: $300K to $1.5M
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
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Slide 13 Of future interest to attendees today is a NOAA funding opportunity later this year. This FFO is anticipated to be announced in late fall with proposals due 60 days from the announcement. Money would probably be awarded in Spring/Summer 2016. Proposals can cover a 1-3 year time period and cover feasibility, design, construction and monitoring activities. The total anticipated funding is $9M with awards likely in the $300K to $1.5M. Stay tuned. FFO will solicit 1,2 and 3 year project proposals to recover listed species and support managed fisheries Timeline -- FFO will likely be published in late NOV and be open for 60 days with awards expected to be made in Spring/Summer 2016 Priority project types solicited for the Northeast will include fish passage and wetland restoration Eligible project activities include: feasibility, design, construction, and monitoring Typical funding awards will range from $300K to $1.5M Total funding available will be dependent on Congressional appropriations but we expect it to be ~$9M
Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program
Hudson River Partnership MeetingNOAA in the Hudson River
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Photo Credit: NOAA Restoration Center Top Left Clockwise: From below the Melzingah Dam on Gordons Brook Orrs Mill Dam on the Moodna Creek in Winter Atop Melzingah Dam on Gordons Brook Breached Dam at Black Creek Falls at Indian Brook Peekskill Hollow Brook at Cortland NY.