The Hudson River Greenway Water Trail became a reality in 2001 when Governor George E. Pataki announced funding for a 156-mile recreational waterway stretching from Battery Park in the Village of Waterford, Saratoga County, to Battery Park in Manhattan. When complete, it will provide at least one access point every 10 miles on both sides of the river, at least one overnight accommodation every 15 miles, and access from the water to attractions such as main streets, wetlands, and historic sites. Coordinated by the Hudson River Valley Greenway in partnership with the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, several state agencies, and the Hudson River Watertrail Association, the trail follows a tidal estuary long known by Native Americans as Muhheakantuck, or “river that flows two ways,” because ocean tides push upriver and reverse the current four times daily. This mixing of salt and fresh water supports one of the earth's most productive ecosystems, with 200 kinds of fish and abundant birdlife, and after anti-pollution and habitat protection measures, the Hudson became the healthiest estuary on the Atlantic Coast. Among its notable fish are Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, prehistoric species that have changed little over millions of years; Atlantic sturgeon can reach 14 feet and 800 pounds, while shortnose sturgeon grow to 4 feet and 15 pounds. Once so plentiful that sturgeon sold in Hudson Valley markets as “Albany beef,” they declined because of overfishing driven by demand for caviar and smoked sturgeon, leading to protections for shortnose sturgeon in 1967, a closure of the Hudson Atlantic sturgeon fishery in 1996, and a ban on fishing for sturgeon anywhere along the Atlantic coast.