Jennifer Epstein

Asylum Brook is a small stream in the city of Beacon, NY, that was buried in phases during the twentieth century. I researched its history and created a StoryMap to tell its story in the context of environmental values and stewardship.

River dams cause a wide range of negative impacts to flowing waters, and dam removal is an increasingly popular ecological restoration method. Due to the cost and complexity of removals, and the sheer number of dams present in the landscape, it is useful to prioritize dams for removal. I created a spatial model to prioritize dams in the Hudon River Estuary watershed for removal based on potential to restore habitat access.

As low-lying shoreline areas are inundated by sea level rise, beaches may become inaccessible due to flooding at access points, even as increased temperatures extend recreational seasons. I analyzed pedestrian and vehicle-based access to swimming areas under current and projected sea levels. This information can help planners ensure equitable future access.

Wastewater infrastructure is essential for preventing water pollution, but in the U.S., much of it is well past its intended lifespan. In New York State's Hudson Valley, investment needs are staggeringly large when aggregated at the state or regional level. To help residents connect local water quality problems to local solutions, I created a spatial database of project costs at legislative and watershed scales and a web map to explore the results.

Blog post

The Clean Water Act is a 50-year-old U.S. law that was created to ensure that all waters are 'fishable, swimmable, and drinkable.' This infographic highlights the gaps between how the CWA was designed to work, and where it often breaks down. The CWA focuses on what state governments must do, but it also calls for extensive public involvement. One of the overarching solutions to these breakdowns, I believe, is to open more doors, more widely, to community involvement.

Hydroelectric power is renewable and therefore often assumed to be 'green,' but dams fundamentally alter the character of free-flowing rivers. These modifications are one of the reasons that freshwater biodiversity is collapsing. The once-in-a-generation federal license renewals for two Mohawk River dams were opportunities to improve wildlife and water quality protections.

Blog post

I worked with a volunteer watershed alliance to complete a comprehensive water quality assessment designed to provide the type of data that New York State grant and technical assistance programs require. The ultimate goal of the project was to help municipalities access water quality improvement project funding. I also developed an action agenda to suggest future work guided by the data.

Project report