About the project

The state of New York is working to remove hundreds of dams built on tributaries of the Hudson River estuary to improve habitat connectivity and reduce the risk of dam failure. The Dams and Sediment in the Hudson (DaSH) project brought together a collaborative team of scientists and stakeholders to better understand how sediment released by dam removals would affect the estuary and provide practical tools to regulators and practitioners. Along with this summary of research findings, the project produced a series of factsheets and journal articles about their research on the amount and potential impacts of sediment trapped behind dams and the processes governing marsh growth in the estuary.

About this resource

This factsheet summarizes research findings from the Dams and Sediment in the Hudson project. The project investigated the following questions:

• When dams on the tributaries to the Hudson are removed, will the sediment adversely impact conditions in the estuary?
• Will sediment released by dam removals on tributaries beneficially supply marshes of the Hudson and increased resilience to sea level rise?