The Hutchinson River is being boosted with hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding.

Pollution at the Hutchinson River has impacted Bronx residents for years, and has, at times, led to the closing of surrounding beaches.

Assemblymember Michael Benedetto announced a $400,000 grant today to help restore it. Benedetto joined environmental groups in City Island detailing plans to use that money to develop a watershed management plan for the river.

That means the groups will be studying the river, as well as the land that drains into the water as they work toward cleaning the river up. The groups say the river is polluted with fecal bacteria, marine debris and excess nitrogen.

Residents say the river used to be a place where people would go to fish and collect shellfish. The ultimate goal for environmentalists is to restore the health of the river so that it can one day be swimmable and fishable.

Officials are still developing a timeline for when the restoration project can begin.