During 2025 a barrier-removal monitoring site was established on Philips Brook (sometimes spelled Philipse) at the Hoving Home dam in the Town of Garrison (Putnam County). The stream reach flowing through the Hoving Home property has been substantially altered from the natural state, including a 16ft dam at the east end of the property, several smaller (<4ft) weirs, a stone-walled channelized course, and finally an undersized culvert at the west end of the property where the stream flows under Avery Rd. The ‘impoundment’ upstream of the primary dam is completely filled in with sediment and rock and has ample herbaceous vegetative growth throughout its area, save some shallow narrow braided channels. The original dam and weir structures were built during the 1930s to provide a swimming area and local aesthetic walking area along the stream. A complete barrier removal and channel bed shift is planned at this site for purposes of fisheries passage and flood reduction by the property owner and the NYDEC Hudson River Estuary Program. The goal of these WRI ecological monitoring projects is to evaluate the effectiveness dam removals have in restoring aquatic connectivity, biological integrity, ecosystem functioning, and water quality metrics within their vicinity. Monitoring efforts allow project partners to understand the biological, habitat, and physical responses to dam removals and provide quantitative data to demonstrate stream improvement, while also setting realistic expectations for removal efforts across varying landscape context settings. Monitoring efforts by WRI have documented rapid recovery of the stream ecosystem within three years after dam removal on E. Branch Wappingers creek (Dietrich et al, 2025). Contrastingly, WRI research reports of pre-removal data at Maiden Lane Dam on Furnace Brook demonstrate static levels of moderate to severe biological impairment during a seven-year look-back period. Documenting the ecological conditions surrounding Philips Brook dam aid in advancing conservation priorities by identifying existing bottlenecks to success as well as areas of greatest restoration potential. Conservation priorities within the Hudson estuary include efforts to improve natural spawning success of native sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and river herrings (Alosa spp.), allowing upstream passage for juvenile American glass eels (Anguilla rostra), and improve conditions for local freshwater mussel recruitment (i.e. Pyganodon cataracta, Elliptio complanata, Anodonta implicata). Each of the stated conservation priorities would benefit from unobstructed passage restoration and reach-level habitat improvement. Demonstrations of successful connectivity restoration projects that improve ecosystem function attributes build positive momentum among stakeholders and public perception for future aquatic connectivity efforts. A recent fish survey and education outreach effort for the residents of Hoving Home demonstrate American eel are present within the project reach of Philips Brook and would directly benefit from passage improvements that the barrier removal would achieve.