The Hudson River has served as a major resource for the population centers along its shores, providing water supply, an abundant fishery, waterborne commerce, a place for recreation and the simple amenity of being by the river side. The survival of New York City, the surrounding metropolitan areas, and the urban areas upstream, depends upon the restoration and the preservation of these most vital water uses. The area covered in this report is the Hudson River and its tributaries from the Federal dam at Troy to the Narrows in New York City. The contents include: Description of area; Water uses; Classification and status of programs; Sources of waste; Effects of pollution on water quality and uses; New York State classes and quality standards applicable to designated waters; Interstate sanitation commission classes and quality standards applicable to designated waters; Status of discharges in New York State area of the Hudson River as reported by New York State Health Department; and Pollution trends in the Hudson River at a point below Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Water Pollution Surveillance Station No. 18.