Local Waters: Hudson River from 132nd St. and 12th Avenue

Apparently I picked the wrong day to check out the Hudson. Check out this annual speedboat race that happened this year on September 10:



But on September 11 from 3:05 pm to 4:05 pm, I ventured out to the Hudson River near 132nd Street on the far west edge of Manhattan. Though heavily overcast, it was warm--but no more than 70 degrees--with a very light breeze. When I arrived, the water was slowly reaching towards high tide (which would reach its crescendo at 4:58pm EST, only a short hour after I left). Because there was very little wind, the water was only moving very slightly.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the portion of the Hudson that is sandwiched between Manhattan and New Jersey must be at least 32 feet deep in order to be fit for commercial traffic. In some portions of this area, however, the river runs as deep as 200 feet.

My observation deck placed me about 4 feet away and about 6 feet above the water. Due to the New York City government's concern for safety, the water was fenced off. Thus, I was not able to use my senses for taste and touch to test the salinity and water temperature of the Hudson. But I was able to use two of my other senses: sight and hearing. Here are my findings:

Sight:
-The water was in no way clear. In fact, it was a distinct brown color, which proved to be unwaveringly opaque.
-There was light motion of the water's surface in the direction of the breeze, which was blowing towards the northwest.
-While I saw no evidence of any wildlife living under water (unless the few bits of garbage have suddenly come to life), there seemed to be a thriving community of birds in or around the Hudson. In the span of an hour, I saw ducks, seagulls, pigeons, and sparrows. Here is a video of the species of ducks found in the Hudson, recorded at the 79th Street Boat Basin in the spring of 2008:



-The Hudson is a popular boating spot. During my hour at the observation deck, I saw three speedboats, one sailboat, one small liner, and one very large industrial liner, which appeared to have several large machines on board. This liner said DEP on the side, which according to Google, is the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
-The closest human interaction with the water was a young man fishing. Otherwise, several people sat, walked or ran along the waterfront.

Hearing:

-Most of the sounds I observed came from the Hudson's most popular residents, seagulls. To get the full Hudson auditory experience, close your eyes and listen to this: