The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced October 29, that more than $855,000 in state grants have been awarded to recipients in Columbia, Orange and Rensselaer counties and other locations to assist communities located in the Hudson River Estuary "to improve water quality, increase flood resiliency, and conserve natural resources," according to a press release. “New York is committed to restoring the state’s waterways, bolstering resiliency, protecting habitat, and creating stronger communities,” Seggos said. The awards were made through the DEC’s Estuary Grants Program. In Columbia, Orange and Rensselaer counties, Riverkeeper will receive $200,778 to evaluate at least nine priority dams on six tributaries of the Hudson River to determine if removal will improve water quality and restore connectivity for river herring and American eel. Other recipients include the Open Space Institute in Putnam County; the town of Esopus in Ulster County; and Hudson Valley Arts and Science in Westerchester County. The Estuary Grants Program is now in its 19th year. Read the full press release at dec [dot] ny [dot] gov.