Rondout Creek is a major tributary of the Hudson River, and improving water quality in the creek has been a focus of Hudson Riverkeeper for several years. The upper part of the creek is dammed to create one of the reservoirs in New York City’s drinking water supply system, and the lower part of the creek is a beloved destination for wildlife viewing, paddling, fishing, and other recreation as it flows through small communities, farms, and forests before reaching the Hudson River at Kingston, NY. The final reach of the Rondout is part of the Hudson River Estuary and is critical habitat for aquatic life, including river herring and other Atlantic Ocean species that spawn in the estuary. More than 100,000 people rely on drinking water from the Hudson River in the vicinity of the creek’s confluence.
Here are some signs of progress in the restoration and protection of this creek.