lohud.com: The debate over proposed anchorages on the Hudson River highlights a sometimes-overlooked fact: That the waterway is a major thoroughfare for a variety of goods.

“I don’t think most people know how active the cargo is on the river,” said Capt. Ian Corcoran, president of the Hudson River Pilots Association, a group of licensed pilots who guide ships up and down the river. The group was one of several which pushed a proposal for 10 new Hudson River anchorages.

Corcoran can rattle off a list of goods that pilots steer along the Hudson, from petroleum products to gypsum to cement to grain and road salt.

But exactly how much of that is on the move can be tough to nail down. State agencies contacted by the Journal News/lohud.com said they did not keep statistics on Hudson River cargo; the Coast Guard only keeps statistics during the winter, when it is tasked with running icebreakers on the river.  Read more.