Springer Series on Environmental Management Robert S. DeSanto, Series Editor Karin E. Limburg Mary Ann Moran William H. McDowell The Hudson River Ecosystem With Contributions by Janet M. Buckley, Edward H. Buckley, Dooley S. Kiefer, and Peter S. Walczak With a Foreword by Simon A. Levin Springer-Verlag New York Berlin Heidelberg Tokyo Karin E. Limburg Mary Ann Moran Ecosystems Research Center Department of Microbiology Cornell University University of Georgia Ithaca, N(~w York 14853 Athens, Georgia 30602 U.S.A. U.S.A. William H. McDowell SURCO State University of New York Oswego, New York 13126 U.S.A. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Limburg, K.E. (Karin E.) The Hudlson River ecosystem. (Springelr series on environmental management) Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Stream ecology-Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.) 2. Water--Pollution-Environmental aspects-Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.) I. Moran, M. A. (Mary Ann) II. McDowell, W. H. (William H.) III. Title. IV. Series. QHI04.5.H83L56 1985 574.5'26323'097473 85-22167 © 1986 by Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1986 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form without wJritten permission from Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, U.S.A. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, etc. in this publication, even if the former are not especially identified, is not to be taken as a sign that such names, as understood by the Trade Marks and Merchandise Marks Act, may accordingly be used freely by anyone. Media conversion by Bi-Comp, Incorporated, York, Pennsylvania. 987654321 ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-9341-5 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-4874-3 DOl 10.1007/978-1-4612-4874-3 Foreword The Ecosystems Research Center (ERC) was established at Cornell U ni versity in October 1980 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the goals of: 1. Identifying fundamental principles and concepts of ecosystems sci ence and the determination of their importance in understanding and pre dicting the responses of ecosystems to stress, the description of the basic mechanisms that operate within ecosystems, and an examination of the stability of ecosystem structure and function in the face of stress. 2. Testing the applicability of those theoretical concepts to problems of concern to the EPA through a consideration of retrospective and other case studies. In line with these goals, the Hudson River ecosystem provided the basis for the first major retrospective study undertaken by the ERC. The goal of the project was to develop recommendations concerning how ecosystem monitoring can and should be carried out in support of EPA's regulatory responsibilities. Our hope was and is that the experience gained from this study will be broadly applicable to a range of manage ment problems involving estuarine ecosystems, and will lead to more effective regulation. As an initial effort, a report (Baslow and Logan, 1982) summarizing much of the utility literature on the Hudson was prepared as a resource document for the ERC. Furthermore, the present document is comple mented by the report "Principles for Estuarine Impact Assessment: Les sons Learned from the Hudson River and Other Estuarine Experiences" vi Foreword by Karin E. Limburg, Christine C. Harwell, and Simon A. Levin (Ecosys tems Research Center, Cornell University, September 1984). The focus of that document is upon the regulatory and legislative issues surrounding estuarine management, with emphasis upon the role of the scientist, the problems associatc~d with measuring ecosystem health, and the evaluative tools available for assessing ecological effects. The present document is more specifically directed to the Hudson River. It provides a physical, chemical, and biollogical description of the river, including a synopsis of our present understanding of ecosystem processes and a survey of studies that have been carried out. The study summarizes the present extent of the Hudson River data base, drawing from the scientific literature and utility company studies. We hope that these reports will serve as a guide to those interested in the Hudson River ecosystem and the anthropogenic stresses it receives. The Hudson is a prototype of a large, multiple-use estuarine ecosystem subject to multiplt: stresses. It is also one of the great natural treasures of the United States, and the subject of a rich, diverse, and colorful litera ture and tradition., We dedicate our efforts to the memory of our friend and colleague Tibor Polgar, First Chairman of the Panel of the Hudson River Founda tion. Tibor died slllddenly on January 21, 1985 at the age of 41. Through his efforts with the Hudson River Foundation, he became one of the major spokesmen for the preservation of the resources of the Hudson River. He will be sorely missed. Simon A. Levin Cornell University Ithaca, New York Series Preface This series is dedicated to serving the growing community of scholars and practitioners concerned with the principles and applications of environ mental management. Each volume is a thorough treatment of a specific topic of importance for proper management practices. A fundamental objective of these books is to help the reader discern and implement man's stewardship of our environment and the world's renewable re sources. For we must strive to understand the relationship between man and nature, act to bring harmony to it, and nurture an environment that is both stable and productive. These objectives have often eluded us because the pursuit of other individual and societal goals has diverted us from a course of living in balance with the environment. At times, therefore, the environmental manager may have to exert restrictive control, which is usually best ap plied to man, not nature. Attempts to alter or harness nature have often failed or backfired, as exemplified by the results of imprudent use of herbicides, fertilizers, water, and other agents. Each book in this series will shed light on the fundamental and applied aspects of environmental management. It is hoped that each will help solve a practical and serious environmental problem. Robert S. DeSanto East Lyme, Connecticut Acknowledgments The task of reviewing the scientific assessments of the Hudson River has been an awesome one. It was necessary-in fact essential-to seek the advice of highly experienced individuals, all of whom very willingly obliged us and provided a great deal of help. We wish to extend whole hearted thanks to these people: Lawrence Barnthouse, Robert Boyle, Mark Brown, Sigurd Christensesn, John Sanders, Ross Sandler, Douglas Sheppard, and Ronald Sloan. Special thanks are due to Edward Ted and Janet Buckley, who, in addition to providing a great deal of literature and advice, developed the extensive PCB bibliography included in Section B of the Bibliography. The support, comments, and help of the staff of the Ecosystems Re search Center is also gratefully acknowledged, particularly that of Simon Levin as coordinator of the Hudson project; Dooley S. Kiefer, who coau thored Chapter 5 on the Westway; Peter S. Walczak, who painstakingly assembled much of the bibliography; John Beatty, who did background research on estuarine impact assessment models; Jack Kelly for extensive review of Chapter 2; and Carin Rundle, Hanna Barker, and Bertie Sardo, who processed and reprocessed our words ad nauseam. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the community of ecosystems ecolo gists and resource managers we have learned from and who have taught us to "think big," but not to ignore the details. Contents 1. Introduction Mary Ann Moran and Karin E. Limburg 2. The Hudson River Ecosystem Mary Ann Moran and Karin E. Limburg 6 3. Power Plant Operation on the Hudson River William H. McDowell 40 4. PCBs in the Hudson Karin E. Limburg 83 5. The Westway Mary Ann Moran and Dooley S. Kiefer 131 6. Synthesis and Evaluation Karin E. Limburg and Mary Ann Moran 155 7. Hudson River Data Base Mary Ann Moran, Peter S. Walczak, and Karin E. Limburg 173 Hudson River Bibliography Peter S. Walczak, Mary Ann Moran, Janet M. Buckley, 241 Edward H. Buckley, and Karin E. Limburg Index 327 Contents of Bibliography Bibliography A: Utility-Sponsored Literature 241 Bibliography B: Open Literature 262 I. Organisms 262 A. Phytoplankton 262 B. Macrophytes 265 C. Invertebrates 266 D. Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians 269 E. Fish 269 1. Striped Bass 269 2. White Perch 273 3. Atlantic Tomcod 274 4. Shad and Blueback Herring 274 5. Sturgeon 276 6. Fish-General 277 F. Diseases and Parasites 281 G. Entrainment and Impingement 282 II. Physical and Chemical Characteristics 285 A. Geology, Hydrology 285 B. Temperature 290 C. Water Chemistry 290 D. Salinity 292 E. Water Quality 292 III. Pollutants 295 A. Sewage 295 B. Polychlorinated Biphenyls 296 xiv Contents of Bibliography c. Radionuclides 309 D. Other Toxic Substances 312 IV. General Ecological Studies and Surveys 317 V. Regulations and Impact Statements 318 VI. Bibliographies 321 VII. General Papers 322 VIII. Non-Hudson 324