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For a map of vessels navigating the NY/NJ waterways at this moment, check marinetraffic.com.

Tide times above are for the waters off Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, on Feb. 9, 2012. For your waterfront's daily tides,
go to saltwatertides.com.

For information about environmental conditions (currents, water temperature, salinity, wave height, etc.) of the New York Harbor area, check the Urban Ocean Observatory at Stevens Institute's Center for Maritime Systems

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WaterWire is your platform for getting the word out. All comments, points of view, event notices, and letters to the editor, Alison Simko, are welcome.
 
Events
Events on the Waterfront

Click on the links for more
information about these events.
A detailed calendar of events
may be found at www.waterfrontalliance.org/calendar

February 11
Fundraiser: NYRA Ergathon
10a, Union Square and Paramus Park Mall

February 15
Exhibition: Urban Divers Honor Black History Month
10a, Metrotech Center, Brooklyn

February 18
Program: Searching for Seals in the Surf
2p, Sandy Hook
Walk: Ocean Waterfowl and Loons
9a, Fort Tilden

February 19
Exhibition: Urban Divers Honor Black History Month
1p, Brooklyn Historical Society

February 22
Walk: Winter Waterfowl
11:30a, Great Kills Park
Meeting/Hearing: Newtown Creek Watershed/Waterbody Facility Plan
6:30p, Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility Visitor Center, 329 Greenpoint Avenue

February 25
Conference: Bronx Parks Speak Up
11a, Lehman College Dining Room

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Part-Time Marine Educator
24 hours per week, 3-4 days per week, including some weekends during the spring and summer. April-August.
   $22/hour. Interested candidates should email cover letter and resume to education@CityParksFoundation.org or send via regular mail to Education Search, City Parks Foundation, 1234 Fifth Avenue, Room 232, NY, NY  10029

WaterWire welcomes water-related classified ads. If you would like to place a free classified ad in WaterWire, email

TOCCONTENTS: February 9, 2012
Draft Wetlands Strategy Presented
Time for you to comment on the City's comprehensive wetlands plan

Moving Tideways in the East River
First US license granted to produce electricity from underwater NYC turbines

Operator Sought for Sailing School in Hudson River
Pier 25 concession includes mooring field and town dock

New York Rowing Gets Serious
Cheer for these hardworking teens at fundraising ergathons this Saturday

Turn on Your TV for a NY-NJ Harbor Coalition Update
Coalition campaign director Lilo Stainton discusses the harbor renaissance

Army Corps Doesn't Play Shell Games
Turtles are protected with extreme care

Meet Some MWA Partners!

 Newslinks
wetlandsBOG LOVE
Time for You to Comment on the City's Wetlands Strategy 
New York City is about to finalize a long-overdue wetlands protection plan. Public input will be accepted until February 18 on the draft plan issued last month by the Bloomberg Administration. Download the NYC Wetlands Strategy at this PlaNYC page and send comments to planyc@cityhall.nyc.gov.

Where saturated land surrenders to a body of water: this is a wetland. Long ago New York City had about 224,000 acres of freshwater wetlands and 100,000 acres of coastal wetlands. These marshes and swamps helped prevent erosion, filtered water and controlled flooding.
Jamaica Bay
A JFK Airport tower rises over Jamaica Bay wetlands.

Today, less than one percent remains of the NYC freshwater wetlands and only about 10 percent is left of the region's coastal wetlands. Precious wetland ecosystems, rich in animal and plant life, can still be found in Jamaica Bay, Staten Island, along Long Island Sound, and in areas of the Bronx and East Rivers -- but they are disappearing.

Alerted by environmentalists years ago, policy-makers have issued plans and laws over the last decade that have led to this defining, comprehensive strategy to protect what wetlands remain, and to restore and even expand wetlands lost through the centuries to pollution, development and landfill.

At a January 31 City Council hearing on wetlands protection, the 12 initiatives of the draft plan were discussed. Aaron Koch from the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability spoke of the two-pronged effort to transfer City-owned wetlands to the NYC Parks Dept. and to acquire privately owned wetlands (particularly in Staten Island for that borough's acclaimed Bluebelt program). Mr. Koch also described ongoing wetlands restoration, as the City works with State and Federal partners to invest more than $54 million at 17 sites to restore 58+ acres of wetlands. "This includes projects at Meadow Lake in Queens; in Brooklyn at Paerdegat Basin and in Marine Park; salt marsh island restoration in Jamaica Bay; in Staten Island at Freshkills Park; and in the Bronx at Pugsley Creek, Soundview Park and further upstream along the Bronx River," he told the Council's Environmental Protection Committee Chair James Gennaro.

This map, created by the Regional Plan Association , shows  

historic tidal wetlands in pink and existing wetlands in green.  

 

Rob Pirani, a Vice President at the Regional Plan Association and the former co-chair of the City's Wetlands Transfer Task Force, praised the plan to assess wetlands and urged the City to move forward expeditiously on transferring property to the Parks Department. "In particular," he noted, "properties in Bayswater and those adjoining Edgemere Landfill are ready to go to Parks."

 

"For the first time ever, the City has developed a comprehensive framework for making decisions  about the wetlands to protect us from floods, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife," Mr. Pirani later told WaterWire. "We are hopeful that adoption of the strategy will lead to expedited decisions about creating new parks and better management."  

tideMOVING TIDEWAYS IN THE EAST RIVER

First Tidal Power License in the Country is Issued for NYC Turbines
Last month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Verdant Power the country's first commercial license to generate and sell electricity from underwater turbines.

For the past few years, six turbines placed by Verdant on the bed of the East River, off Roosevelt Island, have been churning out enough electrical power to run a grocery store and a parking garage. As it monitored the turbines, Verdant demonstrated several important facts, including that fish would avoid the turning blades and not be harmed and that the blades would turn readily in either direction depending on the tide.

The East River is not actually a river. It is a tidal strait connecting Long Island Sound on the north end to Upper New York Bay on the sound end. Because of this, "we can predict within a very high degree of accuracy how much power we're going to be producing tomorrow, three weeks from now, 10 years from now, 100 years out, by simply looking at tidal charts," said Verdant's Dean Whatmoor in an interview on the Clean Skies network.

With Verdant's multi-year demonstration of the potential of clean, renewable energy created from New York City's rushing currents deemed successful and safe, the FERC was convinced and Verdant got its license to proceed with the RITE (Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy) Project on January 23, 2012. The company now will build out -- and monitor -- the entire project of up to 30 turbines.

"Issuing a pilot license for an innovative technology is a major step in the effort to help our country meet our renewable energy goals," FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said. "FERC's pilot process is doing what it should: allow for exploration of new renewable technologies while protecting the environment."

More than 100 hydrokinetic projects are in initial permitting stages around the country.
hrptOPERATOR SOUGHT FOR SAILING SCHOOL CONCESSION ON THE HUDSON RIVER

Hudson River Park Trust
Info Session on Feb. 17; Responses Due Mar. 5
The Hudson River Park Trust has just released a Request for Proposals to operate a new sailing school concession at Pier 25 on the Hudson River. The concession will also offer a town dock and up to 40 moorings for transient boats, including one or two that will be available to visiting educational vessels.

Pier 25 opened in late 2010 with a children's playground, miniature golf, sand volleyball and small playing field. A 360-foot floating dock is ready for activity on the south side of the pier, while places are reserved on the north side for two historic vessels -- the Lilac and Tug Pegasus. Pier 26, to the north, is under construction

An optional information session will take place on February 17 and responses are due on March 5. To download the RFP and for more information, go to www.hudsonriverpark.org/organization/bids.asp
 rowWATCH OUT, BOSTON AND PHILLY; NEW YORK ROWING IS GETTING SERIOUS

A Recreational Rowing Group Turns Competitive 
This Saturday, February 11, look for a couple dozen crazy high school students rowing their hearts out at Union Square. Yes, you read that right: they'll be rowing. On ergometers. In the snow.

Welcome to the New York Rowing Association's Erg-A-Thon. Each young person has committed to raise a certain amount of pledged dollars per 100 meters rowed -- and each will row a minimum of 10,000 meters. The money they (and their New Jersey counterparts at the Paramus Park Mall) raise will help upgrade their boats and oars, allow them to travel to more regattas this spring, and allow NYRA to offer more rowing scholarships to deserving teenagers.

What's going on at NYRA? Once a sleepy recreational rowing group with three outposts -- the Sharp boathouse on the Harlem River (left), the Passaic River in New Jersey, and in New Rochelle -- NYRA is being reborn as a serious contender. The New Rochelle program has been eliminated. The New Jersey team is moving to Overpeck Lake in Ridgefield, where there are big plans to develop a training and regatta center. Perhaps best of all, experienced and ambitious coaches have come aboard both the NY and NJ programs.

"In the last year, there's been a huge effort to turn things around," said Kate Mullan, New York head coach. It's paying off. "When you're making the switch from a recreational team to a competitive team, it's a hard mindest to turn around, to convince people that it's worth it to work out all these grinding hours. But the thing about rowing that's so addicting is when when you work really hard, you see yourself getting faster. There are no shortcuts. It's great to see the kids realize this."

The majority of NYRA rowers are high school students, though New Jersey, under the leadership of Coach Matt Pearce, also has a middle school program, and New York just hired a coach for a small masters team. Teens are joining at an increasing rate. "It's word of mouth -- and a sign we're doing something right," said Coach Mullan. Below, a regatta on the Harlem River

A healthy commitment for teens, rowing can be a major financial commitment for their parents. Knowing this, NYRA makes scholarships available.

Last spring, NYRA boats competed in two regattas. This spring, boats from New York and New Jersey, travelling as one team, will be competing at four or five regattas. "I have high expectations," said Coach Mullan, who rowed as a teenager in Buffalo and then at Yale. "The rowing bug hasn't hit New York City and that's surprising because there are so many untapped athletes here. Rowing is a huge part of other big cities. Our goal is to build something like that, to have a rowing community in New York and New Jersey that adds a lot to the waterfront."
coalitionWATCH HARBOR COALITION DIRECTOR ON TV'S NJ CAPITOL REPORT

Lilo Stainton Spreads the Word
You'd like an update on the work of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Coalition? Tune in to your local public television affiliate the week of February 18 and hear campaign director Lilo Stainton discuss the renaissance of the harbor with the hosts of NJ Capitol Report.

You can expect Ms. Stainton to mention improving water quality and habitat restoration, but she'll also talk about how the continued renaissance of the harbor rests upon securing greater financial resources. The program will air over five days on these and other channels: THIRTEEN (Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8:30am), NJTV (Feb. 18 at noon and Feb. 19 at 8am and 11am), WHYY, WLIW 21 and WLIW WORLD. The program will also air on FiOS 1, Verizon's New Jersey channel and on National Public Radio's WBGO Jazz 88.3FM.
turtleENVIRONMENTALLY VIGILANT
Army Corps Doesn't Play Shell Games with Turtle Protection
Several years ago, Howard Ruben and a team of other biologists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, were performing environmental work along a New Jersey beach that had been newly restored by the Corps. 

 

"An onlooker said he had seen a baby sea turtle in the water," said Ruben. "Because this is an endangered species and you never see baby sea turtles on the shore in the northeast, we got very excited and began looking for it."  

 

"Just before we left for the day," Ruben continued, "I saw something in the seaweed along the shore. When I parted the weeds and looked down, I saw a plastic baby turtle. I laughed out loud."

 

In all seriousness, the Corps takes great care to protect endangered sea turtles and all marine life, especially when performing beach replenishment projects. In the northeast, the most common endangered species are the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (above) and the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle.

 

Every time the Corps begins a beach replenishment project, it complies with environmental protection policies established by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These policies were set into motion for Monmouth Beach in New Jersey, a project the Corps undertook in partnership with the NJ State Department of Environmental Protection and dredging contractor Weeks Marine. At left, Coastal Engineer Donald Cresitello and Resident Engineer Paul Jalowski, both with the Corps, chat as sand is pumped into place on Monmouth Beach.   

 

"This area of the New Jersey shoreline is in serious need of sand replenishment," said Roy Messaros, Ph.D., a Coastal and Hydraulic Engineer with the Corps. "There hasn't been a beach here in several years. Without a beach, waves break directly on the seawall and eventually you will have a problem with the seawall. Building a beach provides protection to the shoreline that is vulnerable to storms and protects infrastructures and homes. A beach draws visitors to area stores and restaurants, which can stimulate the local economy."

 

"Building a beach is also good for the environment. Beaches are essential for sea turtles to reproduce, which is an integral part of our ecosystem," he said.

 

To replenish Monmouth Beach, the Corps is dredging 800,000 cubic yards of sand from an area two miles offshore. The sand is pumped onto the shore and then graded.

 

The hopper dredges being used are like "underwater vacuum cleaners," said Ruben. "They suck up sand from the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, they can also take marine life with them." NMFS regulations require the Army Corps to perform its dredging from December through April, when sea turtles are not expected to be in the northeast. If dredging has to occur during the warmer months, the Corps must take measures to prevent harm to sea turtles. These precautions include having a NMFS-certified Sea Turtle Observer aboard the dredges around the clock.

 

The Sea Turtle Observer is a trained and certified independent contractor who monitors the dredging operations. At right, a Sea Turtle Observer at work last November, when the Monmouth Beach Replenishment Project began. If Observers spot a marine animal swimming near the boat, they inform the crew so that the dredge can avoid it. If they see a marine animal injured, they halt the dredging operation, document the incident and contact authorities, including the District, NMFS and a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Daily reports submitted by Sea Turtle Observers to the District are eventually entered into the Army Corps' national sea turtle data base.

 

"The NMFS sets strict limits for how many Sea Turtles can be 'taken during dredging procedures each year and if this limit is reached we must cease our dredging operations," said Ruben. He said the District had recorded only one possible sea turtle mortality in the past 20 years.

 

The Army Corps has worked with the NMFS to develop dredging methods and equipment that minimizes harm to sea turtles. An increase in the awareness of the plight of endangered sea turtles has also led to more "turtle-friendly" commercial fishing gear. Because of all of these protective measures sea turtle populations are showing signs of recovery.   

 

Still, the Corps makes an unusual effort to keep these creatures safe. "We go out of our way to protect them by continuously expanding our knowledge and improving our methods," said Ruben. 

 

By JoAnne Castagna, Ed.D.  

 

Dr. JoAnne Castagna is a Public Affairs Specialist (Writer) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. She can be reached at joanne.castagna@usace.army.mil.  Photos: Chris Gardner, New York District Public Affairs  Credit: Roxanne Carter, Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority

partnersMWA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Expanding every week, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is more than a coalition; it's a force. We are ferry captains, shipping executives, park directors, scientists, sailors, paddlers, swimmers, teachers, urban planners, architects and more. Together, we advocate for the best possible waterfront in the best possible city, a waterfront that is clean and accessible to all, with a robust maritime workforce and efficient, affordable waterborne transportation. Join us! Contact Louis Kleinman at lkleinman@waterfrontalliance.org.

Meet some Partners of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance:
  • Broad Channel Civic Association       channelcivic@aol.com

    The Broad Channel Civic Association represents the residents of Broad Channel, the only occupied island within the waters of Jamaica Bay.

  • New York Railroad Enthusiasts        http://www.nyrre.org 

    We believe that, regardless of newer and possibly more spectacular forms of transportation, the railroads will remain the most important part of our national transportation system. Without the railroads, the American economy would grind to a halt. It is our intention to bring to our members, and to the public, the story of American (and sometimes foreign) railroads -- past, present and future.

  • Tugster       http://tugster.wordpress.com
    This blog is a vehicle to share photos and thoughts about the life on these waters. 
          
  • Westchester Sail and Power Squadron    http://www.usps.org/d2/westchester
    Westchester Sail and Power Squadron is part of the United States Power Squadron, the world's largest private, non-profit boating organization.
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NLWATERFRONT NEWSLINKS
 
 Court Rejects Challenge of NY-NJ Port Monitors
"A federal appeals court affirmed a lower court's decision that the New York Shipping Association acted prematurely in challenging a port crime watchdog agency's plan for independent monitors at waterfront businesses./."
The Journal of Commerce, February 8, 2012

Greenpoint Boathouse moves along toward opening
"The Greenpoint Boathouse is one step closer to being complete. A construction project manager was recently chosen by the City Parks Foundation to begin the project..."
Greenpoint Star, February 8, 2012

 Gowanus Canal To Feature 'Sponge Park' Green Infrastructure
"...As the decades-long cleanup of the Gowanus Canal begins, one landscape architect is trying to turn a slice of Brooklyn into a "Sponge Park." The city's Design Commission approved the idea on January 30...."
Huffington Post, February 7, 2012

Civil War-era cannonball found on Governors Island
"...The 350-pound, 20-inch round projectile was found around 8:50 a.m. by workers doing construction near Soissons Dock, the main access point for the island, said Elizabeth Rapuano, a spokeswoman for the city-run Trust for Governors Island..."
New York Post, February 2, 2012

 Seaport Museum Sets Sail, Again
"..."We wanted to try to become an overnight cultural destination," said Susan Henshaw Jones, the president and director of the Museum of the City of New York, which assumed control of the Seaport Museum last fall. "We hope the public's reaction is as intense as our efforts to get the place reopened..."
The New York Times, January 25, 2012

Gowanus cleanup is blasted as  health risk
"...The cleanup of a toxic site along Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal could put neighbors' health at risk, an advocacy group is warning. The group says National Grid's plans to monitor coal tar vapors at the former gas plant site it will clean this spring aren't good enough..."
New York Daily News, January 21, 2012
      

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