Protecting, Restoring, and Managing Wetland and Riparian Ecosystems in New York City

Marit Larson Central Forestry, Horticulture, and Natural Resources Group

Urban Wetlands Workshop, Columbia University, December 1, 2010 Wetland loss over time

~85% coastal wetlands loss Regional Plan Association, 2002

~99% freshwater wetlands loss PlaNYC Wetlands, 2009 Wetland loss over historical time

Historic lower Bronx River Watershed Eric Sanderson, WCS Wetland loss over historical time

~85% coastal wetlands loss Regional Plan Association, 2002 ~99% freshwater wetlands loss PlaNYC, NYC Wetlands, 2009 Wetland loss over historical time

Historic lower Bronx River Watershed Eric Sanderson, WCS 20th Century – from Robert Moses to today

South Bronx and Bronx River Estuary Shoreline 1897 Extent of fill and new shoreline 1950

Robert Moses letter to the Mayor, 1950 Stream and riparian losses

40-90% streams and riparian corridors lost from preliminary data compiled by Eymund Deigel, AKRF

NYC Tributaries ~500 stream miles historically ~200 stream miles today

Buried streams along lower Bronx River Riverdale Park Incremental salt marsh loss

1974 1999 Change since 1974 Park (acres) Total Loss Loss/Yr BRONX Hutchinson River Marshes 51 28 45% 1.8% Long Island Sound Marshes 77 51 33% 1.3%

QUEENS Alley Pond Park 18 17 3% 0.1% Jamaica Bay Islands 1974 1223 38% 1.5% Udall’s Cove Park 20 13 38% 1.5%

STATEN ISLAND Saw Mill Creek (restored) 68 63 8% 0.3% Lemon Creek 12 9 (2006) 29% 1.1% Pralls Island 14 6 (2006) 57% 2.3%

Sources: NRG 2010; Mushacke 2006, Hartig 2002, 2004 Wetlands inventory in NYC

Planning Regions National Wetland Inventory Wetland Types Harlem River, East River, (781 acres) Estuarine marsh Long Island Sound (4070 ac)

Emergent (500 ac)

Ponds (490 ac) Arthur Kill (1690 acres) Scrub Shrub(110 ac)

Forested (570 ac) Jamaica Bay (1961 acres)

Total = 5641 acres

Lower Bay (1197 acres) Complexity of urban wetlands conservation

NWI Wetlands NYSDEC Wetlands Streams Park Boundary

High Rock Park, Staten Island Protection & restoration history

STRATEGY

IDENTIFICATION

GOALS Ecological functions Environmental benefits Societal values

COLLABORATION

ACQUISITIONS

RESTORATION

MANAGEMENT Response to opportunity

SPILL / MITIGATION / VIOLATIONS

Exxon Spill site near Goethals Bridge, S.I. Identifying opportunities

FLOOD ALLEVIATION / RESTORING FUNCTION AND VALUE

Bronx River floodplain (NYS DOS, NYS DEC) Strack Pond, Forest Hill Park, Queens (NYS DOS) Creating opportunities

HABITAT AND AESTHETICS

Bronx River, Concrete Plant HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY

Southern leopard frog

Dusky salamander

River herring Oysters Creating opportunities

HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY

River herring Oysters

Southern leopard frog

Dusky salamander Taking a regional approach

WATERSHED AND ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES

NY/NJ Harbor Estuary

Jamaica Bay

Long Island Sound

CSO-sheds

Alley Creek Headwaters

Jamaica Bay, Elders East Leveraging funding and collaboration

U.S. ACE (Gerritsen Creek, Soundview Lagoons, Spring Creek)

Gerritsen Creek Leveraging funding and collaboration

NYSDEC (Bridge Creek, Turtle Cove)

Bridge Creek

NYCDEP (Alley Creek, Paerdegat Basin, Staten Island Bluebelt, Green Infrastructure) NOAA, CTDEP (Bronx River riparian zone, shellfish habitat, anadromous fish passage) HRF / Baykeepers / ACE (oyster reef restoration) Strategies into the future?

Udall’s Cove BioindicatorProtection &Framework restoration framework

Identify OpportunitiesOpportunities/ Assess Conditions

OBJECTIVES Ecological functions Environmental benefits Societal values

Implement Evaluate Restoration and Actions & Track Management METRICS Changes