By Kayla Schmidt
The Hudson River runs more than 300 miles, and Luis Melendez knows a good chunk of it by heart. As a boat captain for 16 years, the last two as the boat captain for the Riverkeeper, he patrols the river’s estuary from the Gowanus Canal in the city up to the Federal Lock in Troy, learning new stretches of water as he goes.
What inspired you to become a riverkeeper boat captain?
I grew up in Brooklyn, and I was part of the first class of a new maritime and marine science high school called the New York Harbor School. Its goal was to introduce students to the New York Harbor, so we took trips to different parts of the harbor and the rivers—the Hudson, the East River, places in Jamaica Bay—and started learning about them through water quality sampling and going out on boats. That was my first experience ever being on a boat. I also got my first job working on a boat through the high school, so there’s a direct connection to what I’m doing today.
What qualifications do you need for this kind of job?
A maritime career and real experience driving boats professionally; when I patrol, I’m alone on the boat, so there’s a familiarity you can only gain through experience. Beyond that, you need a passion for wanting to see change—improvements in water quality, improvements in public access—because that’s what we’re advocating for. It’s not just about driving the boat. It’s the reason behind it.
What does your role as a river patrolman involve?
I drive the ENR Fletcher, our flagship patrol boat, which has been doing these patrols since the early 2000s. Our patrols are divided into three areas. There’s the Hudson River Estuary Patrol, which runs from the Gowanus Canal in the city all the way north to the Federal Lock in Troy—that’s our regular monthly patrol, and it also includes parts of the East River, like Newtown Creek and Flushing Bay.
Then there’s the upper Hudson, north of Troy, where we go up to Fort Edward, about 50 miles north. The third area, which we’re aiming to get this year, is the Mohawk River, which is the largest tributary to the Hudson.
What is your favorite part of your work?
Learning the river and seeing how different cities and communities interact with it. Before Riverkeeper, the furthest north I’d ever been on the Hudson was Beacon. Now I’ve been through my first lock system, which was new to me. Coming from New York City, I’m used to a specific way of interacting with the river—there’s a lot of competing uses down there, with ferry traffic, tugs and barges. The further north you travel, the less commercial boat traffic you see, and there’s a shift towards recreational use. That’s been really interesting to see.
Can you tell us about a memorable experience?
Last fall, Riverkeeper responded to an unprecedented harmful algal bloom off of Kingston. We got a report from members of the public, and we mobilized as a whole team—boats were underway, staff drove to collect samples, and we were getting the message out on social media. The water was still relatively warm, so there were public swims happening, and we were calling the coast guard and anyone who’d be affected. It was a great thing to be a part of; I loved seeing all of our staff mobilizing to protect the public and raise awareness.
What is something people often misunderstand about your work?
The Hudson is a big stretch of river. Between our patrols and our water quality sampling—we collect samples from 250 sites across the estuary—Riverkeeper only has two boats to manage it all. It’s a big job, and we rely on the public and different stakeholders to help us keep an eye on the river. We’re always looking for allies.
What do you want people to know about Riverkeeper?
We’re out here patrolling, but we want to hear from folks. If you see Fletcher or Bob Boyle, our other boat, out on the water, feel free to come over and say hello.
This article was edited by Rinn Kress and fact-checked by Isabella Aranda Garcia.
This article was published in the July/August 2026 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Kayla Schmidt
Kayla Schmidt is a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School. She is part of the newspaper and the SADD club, and she is also the co-manager of the track team. In her free time, Kayla enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and dogs, along with reading (preferably on the beach).
