11th ANNUAL GREAT HUDSON RIVER PADDLE SET FOR JULY

11^th ANNUAL GREAT HUDSON RIVER PADDLE SET FOR JULY

NEW FORMAT WILL BOOST ECOTOURISM

(Albany, NY) –The Hudson River Valley Greenway is encouraging residents of the Hudson Valley and beyond to get ready for the 11th Annual Great Hudson River Paddle, scheduled for July 1-31, 2011.

Following ten highly successful years the Hudson River Valley Greenway is changing the format of the Great Hudson River Paddle (GHRP) from a single end-to-end trip to a series of many types of partner run paddles. The new Great Hudson River Paddle will be modeled on the celebrated Hudson River Valley Ramble and will include short overnight paddles, day paddles, free paddles, paddle races, and any other events our partners dream up. The goals of the change are to get more people out on the Hudson in a safe and fun environment and to bolster local economic development through increased ecotourism.

A new website allows partners to directly upload events. The GHRP website, www.greatHRpaddle.org, is ready for event entries from our partner organizations, and will be the go-to destination for paddling events this July.

The Paddle offers the opportunity for participants to enjoy a variety of kayaking and boating experiences, and canal and estuary explorations that highlight the significant historical, cultural and natural resources found throughout the Hudson River Valley. Click to watch a video about the GHRP. Experiencing these resources from the water gives participants a unique and up-close perspective that is not to be missed.

Riverkeeper's May 2011 Hudson River Water Quality Report

May 2011 Sampling Data
Hudson River Water Quality Report:
First sampling patrol of 2011 - May 16 through May 19
Highlights

This month our sampling patrol was carried out aboard “Launch 5” while Riverkeeper’s boat was in final stages of a major rebuild. Many thanks to Greg Porteus, owner of “Launch 5.”

Our May patrol was rainy, wet and nasty. It rained between 1.2 and 2.5 inches during and before our patrol (with local heavy rain every day as we worked north) and, as a result, we found more unacceptable water quality than ever before. Not one sample site north of Poughkeepsie was “acceptable.” This is stunning. I've never been on a patrol like this one. Read on to see how the Hudson River can be regularly and dramatically compromised by sewage releases triggered by something as simple as a few inches of rain.
Of 74 sampling locations:
59 (80%) were “unacceptable”
7 (9%) were “possible risk”
8 (11%) were “acceptable”