 News and stories about the waterways of
New York and New Jersey, from the
Metropolitan Waterfront AllianceJUNE 8, 2013 |
|
SANDY DOLLARS COMMITTED TO NEWARK & JAMAICA BAY
|
Rendering of the future Minish Park from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Residents of Newark, New Jersey's largest city, are among the latest beneficiaries of Sandy relief funding. In a report submitted to Congress late last week outlining $2 billion in post-Sandy projects designed to protect and improve shoreline communities, and restore coastal ecosystems, the Army Corps of Engineers promised a major investment in the Newark waterfront, committing $26 million to the improvement of Minish Park on the Passaic River. This undertaking is one of three dozen projects in the Corps' report, which can be read here. The funds are allocated from the $60 billion in the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act passed earlier this year.
The report also includes $150 million in construction funding for the area between East Rockaway Inlet and Rockaway Inlet, some of which might be used for wetland restoration, marsh island creation, and other environmental projects.
In Newark, Sandy dollars will be used to stabilize the shoreline and reconstruct the bulkhead from Lombardy Street to past Rector Street in the heart of Newark. "This work will help reduce erosion that has been a chronic issue in this area in the past," said the Corps' Public Affairs Specialist Christopher Gardner. The federal project complements ongoing City and County efforts to reconnect Newark to the Passaic River, affecting areas that are flood prone and/or polluted, and have been cut off from public use. Read more about the Newark Riverfront Revival here. "This investment is great news for Newark residents, local businesses and our environment," said Ana Baptista, Director of Environmental Programs at the Ironbound Community Corporation, in Newark. "For far too long our community has struggled with limited... READ MORE
__________________________________________________________
|
COMMUNITY ECO DOCK OPENS AT BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
|
On Saturday, June 8, be the first in line to grab a paddle and kayak at Brooklyn Bridge Park, when the region's newest Community Eco Dock opens at Pier 2.
The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance collaborated with Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse to make the new dock a reality. City Council Member Steve Levin gave $170,000 to fund the dock.
Part of Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's Open Waters Initiative, Community Eco Docks are floating docks that rise and fall with the tide and are cost-effective to build and maintain. MWA is spearheading the construction of Community Eco Docks around the region, providing new opportunities for boating programs, community events, and environmental education. Through generous funding from Council Member Vincent Gentile, the next Community Eco Dock will be constructed in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn at the 69th Street Pier this fall. On deck are Community Eco Docks coming to... READ MORE
_______________________________________________________
|
NEW BIOSWALES IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AROUND NYC
|
The Hutchinson River and Co-op City
Green infrastructure recently installed in the Bronx and Brooklyn is already directly improving the water quality of the Hutchinson River (above) and Newtown Creek. In the Bronx, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation to build 22 bioswales along Schiefflin Avenue between East 226th Drive and East 229th Street. Tree pits in disguise, bioswales are planted areas designed to collect and absorb stormwater. Each can manage as much as 2,244 gallons of street and sidewalk runoff during a storm. Underground, the bioswales filter and store excess stormwater in layers of broken stone and soil. DEP provides funding for Parks Dept. crews to maintain all bioswales.
Eleanor Rae, president of the Hutchinson River Restoration Project, is pleased to know that the DEP is paying attention to the Hutchinson River. She provided an update of the HRRP's activities: "We have just finished a study of potential canoe/kayak launch sites on the Hutchinson River funded by theNew England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, and are currently working on organizing the Fourth Annual Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary Clean-Up. The sanctuary on the east shore of the Hutchinson is where a large amount of the run-off trash ends up."
In Brooklyn, the DEP just completed 19 more bioswales along Grove Street between Goodwin Place and Wilson Avenue. "I am excited to have bioswales in Bushwick," Council Member Diana Reyna said. "This is an incredibly innovative way to address street flooding, reduce sewer overflows into Newtown Creek and green the neighborhood."
Brooklyn residents may take advantage of BioswaleCare workshops on June 19 at Hope Gardens (422 Central Avenue, 6:30pm to 8:30pm) and on June 22 at the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew (520 Clinton Avenue, 10am to 11:30am). The workshops are sponsored by DEP, the NYC Housing Authority and MillionTreesNYC.
The new bioswales impacting the Hutchinson River and Newtown Creek were two of three green infrastructure projects...READ MORE
_________________________________________________________
|
OVERFLOW CROWD AT CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON FERRIES
It's undeniable: New Yorkers want more ferry service. This demand came into focus on Tuesday, May 28, when close to 100 ferry advocates trudged through a torrential downpour to the City Council Chambers to speak out in favor of a five-borough ferry network. In fact, the crowd grew so large that, shortly after the scheduled 1pm start time, the hearing was moved upstairs to a larger room with overflow capacity. The highly anticipated hearing, held jointly by the Waterfront, Transportation, and Economic Development Committees, also brought out 25 Council members from all five boroughs, many of whom stressed the need for ferry service in transit-poor communities in the outer boroughs, whose residents endure some of the longest commutes in the country. After a testimony from the Economic Development Corporation, and a lengthy, often heated series of questions from the Council, the Committee Chairs heard dozens of testimonies from ferry industry professionals, community board representatives, and neighborhood leaders from across the City. The outstanding turnout at the hearing should make it difficult for the City to ignore the widespread community support for a robust, interconnected ferry network.
FERRY SERVICE TO ROCKAWAY EXPANDED
In a fortuitous coincidence, about an hour before the start of the hearing, the Mayor's Office announced that the popular weekday ferry service operated by Seastreak between Rockaway and Lower Manhattan, which cuts many commuters' trips in half at a fare of just $2 each way, will continue for at least six more weeks, with the potential for an extension to Labor Day.
That's not all! Starting July 4th weekend, the glorious Atlantic beaches of the Rockaway Peninsula, not to mention the burgeoning culinary scene along the newly repaired boardwalk, will be within easier reach. Thanks to a partnership between the City and TWFM Ferry Inc., on Saturdays and Sundays this summer three morning and three afternoon ferries will transport beachgoers between Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan, Jacob Riis Park, and Beach 108th Street. The scenic trip through New York Harbor takes less than an hour and provides a direct, reliable alternative to the multiple subway/bus transfers and parking headaches to which Rockaway visitors are accustomed. Not subsidized by the City, this weekend service is still affordable at $20 one way and $30 roundtrip.
FERRIES RECOGNIZED AS ESSENTIAL IN EMERGENCIES
Recognition of the need for expanded ferry service continued on Wednesday, June 5, when NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn stood before a crowd at City Hall and announced the introduction of 10 new Council bills designed to better prepare the City for extreme weather. Resulting from 11 Council hearings and more than 100 testimonies, the bills address key issues, including improved traffic management in the wake of power and transit failure. Specifically, Speaker Quinn emphasized the crucial role ferries play in keeping New Yorkers moving after a storm. She praised the East River Ferry for its quick recovery after Sandy and encouraged both the addition and the rerouting of ferry service to storm-ravaged neighborhoods. The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance applauds the City Council for incorporating ferries into its progressive emergency transit policy.
Photo courtesy East River Ferry
|
|
|
BY & LARGEShort items on
waterfront events and issues
Friends of Denyse Wharf Clean Up the Beach,
Envision Much More
On June 2, 2013 local students and their parents cleaned up the Bay Ridge beach at historic Denyse Wharf near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Since the beach is on the Fort Hamilton Army Base, permission for the event had been obtained from the Base Commander, Col. Eluyn Gines. Friends of Denyse Wharf, the event's sponsor, were pleased to welcome City Council Member Vincent Gentile to the clean-up.
Students conducted water quality tests and measured oyster growth as part of an orientation program to start a floating oyster garden at Denyse Wharf. The youngsters paddled kayaks in the shallow area of the cove supervised by lifeguards from the Bay Ridge Aquatics Institute, while the organizers discussed a floating oyster garden anchored in the middle of the cove.
Over the years, Friends of Denyse Wharf have campaigned to get the City of New York to approve construction of a modest environmental science lab on the site. In 2001, the NYC Board of Education did a feasibility study and concluded that the site could accommodate a science lab on a barge attached to the wharf. The current Department of Education, however, is not prepared to move forward with this project in spite of support from every local elected official, the Bay Ridge Community Council, Community Board Ten, Council Member Gentile and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. ______________________
Perfect for the Fridge: Download Your Summer
Aqua Calendar Here!
The summer of 2013 promises to be the best yet for water lovers in the metropolitan region, filled with cruises and boat tours, seining and fishing sessions, beach walks and water festivals -- not to mention the almost endless opportunities to get out on the water by yourself in a canoe, kayak, sailboat or rowing shell. And the majority of these events and opportunities are free!
Click here to download MWA"s handy Summer Aqua Calendar, suitable for framing or posting on your refrigerator, so that you'll always have information about summer water events at your fingertips.
_____________________________
Get Tickets for the
Opening Night Gala of
the Historic Ship Festival
Thursday, June 20 is the opening night gala that launches the North River Historic Ship Festival at Pier 25, through June 23. Joining the Lilac lighthouse tender at the pier for the weekend will be the tug Pegasus, Lehigh Valley Barge #79, fireboat John J. Harvey and schooner Pioneer. Most of the weekend's events (dockside tours, on-water tours, fishing) are free, but circus performances on the Lehigh Valley #79 and the opening night gala require tickets. At the gala, which takes place aboard the barge from 6pm to 8:30pm, the North River Historic Ship Society will honor Historic Ship Champion A.J. Pietrantone, former executive director of the Friends of Hudson River Park, and announce the creation of the new John Krevey Fund for Water Access. For more information and a schedule of events, go to www.nrhss.org
Photo by Betsy Haggerty
__________________________
Sign Up to Volunteer at
City of Water DayPlans are in full swing for City of Water Day on Saturday, July 20 at Governors Island, Liberty State Park and In Your Neighborhood all around the city. If you've volunteered at past City of Water Day eventss, you'll know how fun and rewarding the experience is. Join the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance this year to volunteer on July 20. Contact Ellen Lee at the MWA if you have questions, or follow this link to sign up for the position and shift of your choice. ________________________________ NYC Beach Updates The NYC Parks Department offers excellent updates of beach repair and restoration all around the city. Sign up to receive them here.
________________________ EVENTS
June 8
Click here for more water-related events on the MWA web site!
______________________ CLASSIFIED ADSPlace your water-related classified ad free in
WaterWire! Contact asimko@waterfrontalliance.orgKayak for Sale
P&H Sirius, fiberglass, cable skeg, 17' 2" by 20", very good condition, stored inside. Fast, tracks great, new deck lines, tight hatch covers. Baby blue over white, $1200 obo. NYC. madfilms@earthlink.net
Tugboat for Sale
1908 Tug. Located in Superior, WI. 76 x 20 x 8, 102 GT. 300 hp. Kahlenberg C-6 engine (1947). Restored condition. Details contact: tugboat2@gmail.com Randall's Island Park Alliance Natural Areas Manager Responsible for the maintenance, management, and monitoring of over 9 acres of restored wetlands and woodlands and 4.5 miles of shoreline, among other duties. Cover letter and resume to jobs@randallsisland.org
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS
Corps to Conduct Meeting on Kill Van Kull Channel Deepening
"The Army Corps will conduct an information session (June 12, 2013, 54 Port Richmond Ave. Staten Island, New York) to advise the nearby public about dredging and underwater blasting to take place in a localized approximately two acre area along the north side of the Kill Van Kull Federal Navigation Channel in New Jersey waters off of Bayonne..."
Dredging Today, June 7, 2013
Rockaways Rising
"While all of Rockaway Beach is open, there are swimming restrictions. Avoid areas with red flags or "beach closed" signs..."
The New York Times, June 5, 2013
Can a Floating Robot Save a Polluted Canal?
"...The Brooklyn Atlantis project, spearheaded by Oded Nov, assistant professor at the department of technology management and innovation at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, has created an aquatic robotic vehicle (ARV) that collects environmental data on the Gowanus Canal..."
Live Science, May 23, 2013
______________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
