1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The Hudson-Mohawk River Basin together with the Erie Canal connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and includes the approximately 13,400 square mile area encompassing the following five large sub-basins: (A) The Upper Hudson River sub-basin. (B) The Mohawk River sub-basin. (C) The Lower Hudson River sub-basin. (D) The Passaic River sub-basin. (E) The Raritan River sub-basin. (2) The Hudson-Mohawk River Basin includes the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area of the country. This metropolitan area, together with the many communities in the Upper Hudson, Mohawk, and Lower Hudson sub-basins, makes the area one of the most densely and heavily populated river basins in the country, with over 15,000,000 people. (3) The water resources of the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin are functionally interrelated and their uses are interdependent. A dedicated program is essential to provide effective communication, coordination, and cooperation among Federal, State, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector. (4) The New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary is a complex natural harbor at the junction of three major water bodies, the New York Bight, the Hudson River, and the Long Island Sound. In addition, it receives freshwater inputs from the Raritan and Passaic Rivers. The health and productivity of the New York Bight are affected directly by the quality of the freshwater inputs to the estuary from the Hudson, Passaic, and Raritan Rivers. (5) The Mohawk River and its watershed drain directly into the Hudson River, providing the largest freshwater input to the brackish water mix that characterizes the Hudson River Estuary and supports a biologically rich and productive ecosystem. (6) The Mohawk River is integrated with the Erie Canal along much of its channel, tying the operation of the canal system to the health of the Mohawk and Hudson