Move Over Hudson!

Sometimes I ask myself, how did I wind up on the board of the Mohawk River Research Center?

You see, I love the Hudson River. Love it. I’ve invested a lot of my academic, professional, and personal life into understanding the Hudson River. From the moment that the craggy and dramatic slopes of Breakneck Ridge and Storm King came into view and took my breath on my first trip to the Hudson Valley, I fell in love with the Hudson. As an educator for Riverkeeper, I was immersed in the river’s history and ecology. For three years, I lived aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, intimate with the ebbs and flows of the estuary. I’ve mucked in the wetlands. I’ve kicked over rocks in the tributaries. I’ve been a pilgrim on the paths to Lake Tear of the Clouds on Tahawus. I can show you where the Continental Army strung the chains across the river. I can tell you the history of Bannerman’s Castle. I can tell you how a hogchoker got its name. Even now in my work for New York State, I spend most of my time focused on the Hudson.

What amazes me as I reflect upon my wonderful memories and experiences on the Hudson River is that I know almost nothing about the Mohawk River. The Mohawk is the largest tributary of the Hudson River, and as much as I would preach to others about watershed connections, I must admit I never thought much about the Mohawk. Like many others who have worked on the Hudson River Estuary, I had become a Hudson River Snob. It’s not really intentional, but when you work on the Hudson the Mohawk ends up lost, forgotten, neglected, like the poor little brother lost in the shadows of his big brother who gets all the glory. And you know what? The Mohawk deserves better. After all, for better or worse, the Hudson and Mohawk are linked, and the Hudson wouldn’t be what it is without its pesky little brother.

I said before that I know almost nothing about the Mohawk River, but I guess I would have to say that I used to know almost nothing about the Mohawk. Since joining the board of the MRRC my eyes have been opened to the rich history, scenic beauty, and ecological significance of the Mohawk. So, it was with great pride that I accepted my first official duty as a board member representing the MRRC at the Hudson River Watershed Alliance meeting held July 1 in Beacon, NY.

Twenty-five Hudson River watershed associations of various sizes, histories, and organizational structures attended. I never cease to be inspired by the members of these small watershed groups, many of whom are volunteers, and what they are able to accomplish with virtually no resources except a deep passion for their stream and an unshakeable will to make things better. The Hudson River Estuary Program has done a great service to both the river and those who try and keep it clean by organizing this alliance. Here groups have a network of experience to draw upon when they encounter the inevitable hurdles of creating a functional and vital watershed association.

I felt a little funny speaking as the lone voice of the Mohawk River, a self-admitted (and reforming) Hudson River Snob amid a room full of Hudson River enthusiasts, in the historic Beacon Sloop club - Pete Seeger’s hometown - with the Clearwater gently rocking at the dock right outside. Some among the crowd were genuinely surprised to see a Mohawk River group there. One participant said with more than a hint of sarcasm, “How nice of the Estuary Program to recognize the Mohawk as part of the Hudson River watershed,” but for the most part people were interested in what I had to say and how our small organization fit into the larger vision of the Hudson River Watershed. I did my best to answer questions about the Mohawk. The most common question I fielded was, “Where is your research center?” To which I replied, “Umm…we don’t really have one…yet!”

Aside from a tasty lunch, a sail on the Clearwater, and a send-off serenade from none other than Pete Seeger himself, I did manage to do some work. I made some good contacts. I met some folks involved in the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy that were interested in partnering with MRRC. I look forward to crossing paths with all of the committed watershed stewards I met in the future. And as the Hudson River Estuary Management Program has demonstrated, an organization like the Hudson River Watershed Alliance can serve as an important clearinghouse for information, experience, and support. As I sat listening to the stories of these small watershed associations, I could clearly envision MRRC as an important technical support organization for sub-basin groups on the Mohawk to launch their own water quality monitoring programs. The Mohawk is a big watershed and there is more than enough room for a few watershed groups, and MRRC is poised to be a key player in developing a similar alliance on the Mohawk.

So, I am excited. I am excited to be a part of this Mohawk River crowd. I look forward to discovering the awe along the Mohawk and stumbling upon those hidden gems and special moments that only time and luck reveal. I want to search the potholes above Cohoes Falls. I want to paddle the Saratoga Trail. I want to take the Revolutionary Mohawk tour. While the Mohawk may never eclipse the Hudson in popularity, the Mohawk is rising and I am proud to count myself among those who are protecting the ecology and heritage of the Mohawk through research and education.

Sean Madden