Daylighting the Saw Mill River

In 2001, Groundwork Hudson Valley formed the Saw Mill River Coalition to reverse decades of neglect on a river that had been culverted and paved over in downtown Yonkers. After years of organizing, the group led the 'daylighting' of the Saw Mill River, breaking open the concrete so the river could flow above ground again for the first time in 90 years, creating what is now Van der Donck Park. The project restored 13,775 square feet of aquatic habitat, including a tidal pool and freshwater pools, and in 2014 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designated the park a National Fish and Wildlife Urban Refuge. The coalition has since completed further daylighting phases downstream and runs youth stewardship and river-cleanup programs along the restored waterway.