All newly created PDFs on this website are accessible. To request an accommodation to access these PDFs, please contact calswebaccessibility@cornell.edu for assistance.
News


Microplastic pollution in Onondaga and Skaneateles Lakes in Central New York
Charles T. Driscoll, Syracuse University

Culvert Model Program 2020: Final Report
Benjamin H. Houston, GroudPoint Engineering, PLLC

Mid-Hudson Young Environmental Scientist Project in Urban Stream Ecology (MH- YES) Year 3
Alan Berkowitz, Cary Institute

Eliminating the "Barrier" to Estuary Education: Connecting Students to their Estuary by Studying the Effect of Stream Barriers and Water Quality on American Eel Populations
Kerryanne Donohue, Manhattan College

The Trophic State is Dynamic: Seasonal Patterns of Nutrient Controls on Phytoplankton in Lakes across New York State
David Richardson, SUNY New Paltz

Hudson Tributary Dam Removal
Pat Sullivan, Jeremy Dietrich, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University. For more information on this work, please check our Barrier Removal & Mitigation Program page.

Barriers to Oyster Recovery in Hudson River Estuary
Matthew Hare, Cornell University
For full report, click here.
Mid-Hudson Young Environmental Scientist Project in Urban Stream Ecology (MH-YES) Year 2
Alan Berkowitz, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Road Salt Delivery Mechanisms and Water Quality Impacts in the Hudson River Watershed
Katherine Meierdiercks, Sienna College

Validation and Application of qPCR-MST of Fecal Contamination in the Mohawk River Watershed
Carolyn Rodak, SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Governing U.S. Flood Risk under Climate Change: Examining an emerging flood-risk network in New York State’s Hudson Valley region
Clifton Staples, NYS Water Resources Institute

Shifts in Hudson River Valley Flood Frequency Following Eastern Hemlock Loss and Succession
M. Todd Walter, Cornell University

Mapping needed and existing vegetative buffers to reduce nutrient loads
Ted Endreny, SUNY ESF

Representing time variant water storage and mixing schemes in isotope tracer-aided hydrologic simulation
Kanishka Singh, James Knighton, M. Todd Walter, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University

Design for Climate-Resilient Hudson River Communities
Joshua F. Cerra, Cornell University

Scenic Resource Protection Guide for the Hudson River Valley
George Frantz, Cornell University

Are invasive round goby a new contaminant vector in Northeastern U.S. inland waterbodies?
Suresh Sethi, Cornell University

Turning Vacant Lots into Green Infrastructure: Application of A Multi-objective Optimization Tool in the City of Buffalo
Zhenduo Zhu, University at Buffalo. Two papers were published from this effort:
1. A new tool for automatic calibration of the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)
2. Modeling the transport of titanium dioxide nanomaterials from combined sewer overflows in an urban river

Assessing stakeholder perceptions and facilitating collaboration in the Pocantico River Watershed
Michael Finewood, Pace University
Effect of climate change on nutrient limitation and algal blooms in headwater lakes of the Hudson River
David Richardson, SUNY New Paltz

Hudson Estuary Watershed Resiliency Project
Cornell Cooperative Extension: collaboration across Columbia and Greene, Dutchess, and Ulster Counties
The Socioeconomic Implications of Changing Flood Risk in the Hudson/Mohawk Watersheds (2018)
The Community and Regional Development Institute, Cornell University
Scoping Green Infrastructure in Troy
Brian Davis, Cornell University. For the full report, please contact WRI or the researcher directly.

Sustainable oyster restoration requires oyster reproduction: Variation in reproduction across Hudson/Raritan Estuary environments
Matthew Hare, Cornell University

Support for Land Use/Environmental Planning Field Workshop (2018)
George Frantz, Cornell University


Assessing the effectiveness of green infrastructure (2017)
Emily Vail, Cornell University.

Quantification and Source Identification of Microplastic Pollution in the Hudson River
Lisa Watkins, Cornell University.

Support for Land Use/Environmental Planning Field Workshop
George Frantz, Cornell University.

The Socioeconomic Implications of Changing Flood Risk in the Hudson/Mohawk Watersheds
The Community and Regional Development Institute, Cornell University.

Geospatial assessment of riparian zones: A case study in the Hudson River Estuary – Stockport Creek Watershed
Lindi Quackenbush, SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry.


Variability in water quality and the effect of climate change and teleconnections on lake thermal structure in the Sky Lakes of Shawangunk Ridge
David Richardson, SUNY New Paltz
To learn more, watch these short videos related to acid rain and climate change in the Sky Lakes, or click on the following link to read the written report.

Dynamic sediment-discharge rating curve models to support climate-smart management of water quality in the New York City water supply system
Scott Steinschneider, Cornell University

Remote Sensing, Harmful Algal Blooms, Spectroscopy, Unmanned Aerial Systems
Ileana Dumitriu, Hobart & William Smith Colleges

Quantifying the ecosystem services of nitrogen removal and carbon sequestration in restored urban tidal wetlands
Chester Zarnoch, CUNY Baruch College. For more information about this work, please contact the researcher .

2015 WRI Summary Report
Water resource infrastructure in New York: assessment, management, & planning – year 4.


The Importance of Field Trips and Cultural Awareness in Education: A Case Study at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB)
Kathleen Ruen, Sarah Lawrence College. Read their article, "The Best Field Trip Ever: An Artistic and Scientific Analysis of the Value of Field Trips to an Environmental Center." You can also see their project report at the following link.

Empirical Validation of the Use of Genetic Tags to Determine the Population Origin of Acoustically Tagged Atlantic Sturgeon in the Hudson River and Coastwide
Isaac Wirgin, New York University Medical Center.

Prediction of Sediment Remobilized by Removal of an Aged Dam in the Hudson River Watershed
Weiming Wu, Clarkson University. To learn more, watch a short video. Contact Brian Rahm (WRI) or Weiming Wu (Clarkson University) for the full report, or click on the following link for a summary:



Detection and characterization of microplastics in Hudson valley surface waters
Lisa Watkins, Cornell University.


Student Researcher Support of Adaptive Management of the St Lawrence River using Novel Water Quality Monitoring Methodology
Michael Twiss, Clarkson University.
American Eel and Perched Culverts in the Hudson Valley
Dr. Robert Schmidt, Berkshire Environmental Research Center, Bard College at Simon's Rock. See here for a more in-depth report related to this project.

2014 WRI Summary Report
Water resource infrastructure in New York: assessment, management, & planning – year 3.
FEMA Community Rating System: A Cost-Benefit Analysis for New York State Communities
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)’s Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that provides enrollees with discounted flood insurance premium rates. This paper addresses barriers and challenges to enrolling in the CRS and provides suggestions to improve CRS participant numbers for NYS municipalities, as well as cost-benefit metrics for when enrolling in the CRS is beneficial for communities.



Using citizen science to map Hudson Valley waterways for violacein-producing microbes
Brooke Jude, Bard College. To learn more, download this presentation, or click on the following link to read the written report.


Analysis of biodiversity in the Sparkill Creek Watershed as a course-based service learning undergraduate experience that will enhance STEM based applications
Bernadette Connors, Dominican College. To learn more, see here for a report on the riparian vegetation restoration aspect of the project, or click on the following link to read the aquatic microbial diversity report.

Visualizing landscape change: public space and CSO's in the Hudson river watershed
Brian Davis, Cornell University.

The Importance of Field trips and cultural awareness in education: a case study at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB)
Kathleen Ruen, Sarah Lawrence College. To learn more, watch this short video on the grant program, or click on the following link to read the written report.

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA): Structure and Effects
Richard Geddes, Cornell University.

Assessment of sediment properties in the impoundment of an aged dam in the Hudson River Watershed
Weiming Wu, Clarkson University. To learn more, watch this short video on the assessment, or click on the following link to read the written report.

Target and suspect screening for micropollutants in the Hudson River Estuary during a single recreational season
Damian Helbling, Cornell University.

Determining Peak Flow Under Different Scenarios and Identifying Undersized Culverts (2015)
Todd Walter, Cornell University.

Septic systems, water quality, and greenhouse gas emissions
Todd Walter, Cornell University. Report available upon request.

Population and DPS origin of subadult Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River
Isaac Wirgin, NYU Medical Center.

Emerging organic pollutants: from college campuses to Cayuga Lake
Susan Allen-Gil, Ithaca College.
Denitrifying bioreactors reduction of agricultural nitrogen pollution at the watershed scale
Larry Geohring, Cornell University.

Computerized content analysis of online reviews of water-centric entertainment areas
Srinagesh Gaverneni, Cornell University.

Determining Peak Flow Under Different Scenarios and Identifying Undersized Culverts
Todd Walter, Cornell University.
Assessing Flood Risk in a Changing Climate in the Mohawk and Hudson River Basins
Stephen Shaw, SUNY -ESF.

Road ditches in the suburban landscape: potential hotspots for nutrient transport and cycling
Todd Walter, Cornell University. To learn more, watch this short video on road ditch research, or click on the following link to read the written report.

Roadside ditches: Source or filter of greenhouse gases?
Rebecca Schneider & Roxanne Marino, Cornell University.
Results of a survey on ditch management by town highway staff.
The themes surrounding the Hudson River: A content analysis of newspapers along the Hudson
Clifford Scherer, Cornell University
Identifying sinkholes and manure management setbacks Using LiDAR and aerial photography
Paul Richards, SUNY Brockport.
To access project products, see an index maps of Albany County, and see these detailed maps of ground features at the field scale.
To learn more, watch this short video on mapping sinkholes, or click on the following link to read the written report.
NY State and smart growth: Policy triangulation, coherence, tensions
David Kay, Cornell University. See here for a Research & Policy Brief related to this project, or for a more in-depth report,