Inspiring the next generation on a Hudson River sloop

This story is part of our Youth Climate Reporting Project, generously supported by Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley and the Youth Climate Action Fund. Read more stories from this series.

The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been a driving force in preserving and protecting the Hudson River for more than 50 years. The nonprofit organization’s long history of activism for the estuary officially began in 1969, when it was founded by musician/activists Pete and Toshi Seeger in response to pollution on the river. 

Based in Beacon, NY, the organization owns and operates the sloop Clearwater, a replica of the single-mast sailboats that were once common sights on the river centuries ago. The sloops were tailored for navigating the winds, depths, and currents of the Hudson. They came into use with the settlement of the Dutch during the 17th century, in order to transport goods throughout the region. The sloops also offered passengers a leisurely sail down the Hudson, on day trips or week-long excursions to towns all along the estuary. 

By the 1890s, faster and more powerful steamships had replaced sloops as the main mode of transportation on the river. With its authentic replica, the Clearwater has brought the sloop back to the Hudson in homage to its historic past. 

Today, the mission of the Clearwater is to educate students and the public on the environmental wonders of the Hudson, fostering awareness and a sense of stewardship as they sail its waters. Through hands-on activities, Clearwater programs focus on the ecology, history, and environmental challenges of New York’s most important waterway. In a very real and fun way, the sloop inspires a connection with the river that is vital to protecting the Hudson for future generations.

A longtime advocate for the protection of critical ecosystems on the Hudson River, the Clearwater organization has been instrumental in the safe shutdown of the Indian Point Energy Center, a nuclear power plant located on the banks of the river in Buchanan, NY, some 25 miles north of New York City. Since its creation in the early 60s, the power plant has been riddled with issues. The facility has been shut down, reopened, investigated, and fined numerous times. 

In order to cool the reactors, the plant’s cooling system took in 2.5 billion gallons of water a day from the Hudson, killing fish and fish larvae in the process. And the water emitted back into the river was done at dangerously high temperatures, further harming the ecosystem by endangering waterlife and killing off beneficial organisms. It’s estimated that over a billion fish and fish larvae were destroyed every year by the cooling system—for more than 40 years. 

The plant was fully retired in 2021. Clearwater helped establish the Decommissioning Oversight Board to manage its safe closure, and advocate for the interests of the local community and ecosystem along the way. Clearwater continues to monitor the decommissioning. 

As a part of The Friends of a Clean Hudson coalition, Clearwater has also been an active advocate for communities impacted by the disposal of PCBs in the Hudson. Starting in 1947 and continuing for 30 years, General Electric dumped more than a million pounds of toxic chemicals into the river from its capacitor factories in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a class of manmade chemicals that were used for manufacturing electric appliances, plasticizers, pigment, and others. They were banned in 1979 for being hazardous to humans and environmental health. The chemicals are still present in the river today. The PCBs have contaminated around 200 miles of the Hudson, making their way into all parts of the ecosystem. The area of the river stretching from Hudson Falls to New York Harbor is now a Superfund site. Warnings about fish consumption have been in place since 1976. Despite years of efforts to dredge up contaminated sediment from the river, the Hudson is still not free from the lingering effects of PCBs and other chemical waste. 

The Great Hudson River Revival, also known as the Clearwater Festival, is another opportunity for the organization to promote efforts to protect the Hudson. Created in 1978, the festival brings together musicians and environmental advocates, with over 15,000 people in attendance and proceeds benefiting Clearwater’s work. Artists such as the Indigo Girls, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Dr. Dog have performed in the past. Unfortunately, the festival has not been held regularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, but Clearwater is working on reimagining the event for the future. 

The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater takes on the work of preserving the Hudson in all kinds of ways. The power of music is harnessed to support the organization, and inspire people to become champions of the river. Grassroots advocacy efforts in collaboration with local communities and other organizations have successfully lobbied for protection of the river and hold to account those who have caused harm. Renowned educational programs foster environmental awareness in students, awakening an important sense of responsibility in the next generation. 

To learn more, visit clearwater.org.

Avery Webb is a sophomore at Emma Willard School in Troy, New York. As a member of the school environmental club Emma Green, she has become well acquainted with local sustainability and conservation efforts. Through daily crew practices on the river, Avery has enjoyed the beauty of the Hudson up close.