DEC Seeks Volunteers for Fish Count on Hudson River

Fifth annual fish count seeks community participation

ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, JUNE 12 - In this photo taken May 19, 2016 and released by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, alewives swim up the Wynants Kill two weeks after an old industrial dam was removed to allow ocean-going fish access to the Hudson River tributary for spawning and habitat in Troy, N.Y. (Erica Capuana/New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via AP)

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is set to count fish along the banks of the Hudson River during its annual event that takes place on Aug. 13. Estuaries are where different kinds of bodies of water converge. The DEC says that this combination of water of varying composition is where 200 fish species live. Some fish don’t live in the Hudson, but migrate from the ocean each spring to procreate.

The DEC will allow people to participate on the day of the event by helping workers catch fish with 30-foot nets. The DEC says that everyone will have a chance to examine the wildlife that is caught, either from within the water or from the shore, before it is thrown back in.

The DEC is using the Twitter hashtag #hudsonriverfishcount for photos taken during the fish count.

Orange County’s fish count is at the New Windsor Hudson River estuary site in the Kowawese Unique Area on Route 9W. It is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. Fish counts are planned in estuaries at other locations extending the length of the Hudson River. For locations and more info, visit DEC’s website at dec.ny.gov/lands/97891.html