Local hydrophiles representing the organizations of Riverkeeper, Clearwater and the Hudson River Maritime Museum — all advocates for the restoration and preservation of the Rondout Creek waterfront — came to the maritime museum before noon on Tuesday, April 23 to stand under a sunny blue sky and icelebrate state senator Michelle Hinchey’s successful efforts to include $6 million in the state budget to restoring the creek bulkhead.
A retaining wall that has been deteriorating for some time, the bulkhead is all that stands between the land and the overtopping floodwaters of the creek which arise every time there’s a heavy downpour.
“Increased weather challenges related to the climate crisis have been brought directly to our door,” said Hinchey. “The DEC is predicting that rising sea levels will raise the Hudson about one to two feet by the year 2100. We’re doing everything that we possibly can to shore up the coastline and to shore up the infrastructure here…”
The $6 million plus the $21.7 million the city was awarded by the state Department of Transportation and the $1.5 million in federal funding that United States senator Chuck Schumer secured for the city in March will help a lot.
“We were able to get a RAISE grant to help work on the streetscape side,” said mayor Steve Noble, also speaking at the event. “Now we’re going to be able to work on the waterfront side — to not only help stabilize the shoreline, but to also put in a new waterfront walkway that we’re standing on today.”
Built at the edge of the creek bank, the maritime museum already takes on water during even moderate weather events. Noble assured the audience that the restoration of the bulkhead was essential.
”If you notice,” said Noble, “everything is shifting toward the creek. There are holes that have already developed behind the bulkhead that are allowing water and land to move. The bulkhead that we are all standing on right now has lived past its life expectancy.”
Huntley Gill, president of the board of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, added a historical persperctive.
“This [creek] has been serving us for access to the Hudson River … for access to the city and the world for 200 years,” said Gill. “It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of this decision to invest in this waterfront and keep it going. Our whole cultural memory exists here.”
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