In 2000, then-governor of New York, George Pataki announced his idea to establish a cutting edge research and education facility on the Hudson River. Over the next several years, the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries opened its doors, adopted its name, and then became affiliated with Clarkson University. Currently, the institute works on a variety of river projects. The WatermarkBlog is a fun place to start and features fascinating articles like the entry from September 22, 2014 entitled, "Water Investment Builds Economy Better than Defense Spending or Tax Cuts." Recent News is continually updated and always interesting. In addition, the Newsroom link navigates to articles, videos, and other sources of information about the Beacon Institute and its work.