Best Practices for Promoting Safe Public Access to Human-Powered Boating in New York City
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Best Practices for Promoting Safe Public Access to Human-Powered Boating in New York City A planning tool for public agencies, waterfront property owners, site managers, and community groups to use when selecting, developing, and operating public access sites. May 2013 Michael R. Bloomberg Mayor Courtesy Ben Solomon NYC Kayak Championships 1 INTRODUCTION Courtesy Ben Solomon, NYC Kayak Championships New York Harbor is the cleanest it has been Department of Environmental Conservation in more than 100 years, and New York City’s water quality classifications, harbor traffic, and waterfront is experiencing a transformative security zones. resurgence with renewed interest for recreation The City recognizes that with the potential for and access to the water in part due to the bil- increased recreational use by the general pop- lions of dollars that the City has invested in ulation it must promote a safe and enjoyable water quality improvements. The public’s inter- environment across public access sites city- est in using the city’s waterways is evident in wide and for different boater skill levels. Individ- the thriving network of human-powered boaters ual boaters are ultimately responsible for their and many boat launches that are already avail- own health and safety, but a robust, established able for public use. network of human-powered boaters provides From 2013 through 2015, three new city funded valuable boater education within the commu- access points will be available for launching nity. This document describes different types of human powered boats. The City will continue conditions along the waterfront, ideal conditions to promote the expansion of public access for human-powered boating, and precaution- and open new sites along the waterfront, con- ary measures that should be taken depending sistent with the goals of PlaNYC, the NYC on existing site conditions. Conditions include Comprehensive Waterfront Plan and Water- Water Quality, Management, Harbor Traffic, front Action Agenda, while considering factors Security, and Site Access. such as compliance with the New York State 2 Waterfront property owners (including city agen- Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Control cies), site managers, and community groups Plan (CSO LTCP) program. should consider these site conditions and best To the extent possible, all future access sites practices when selecting and developing public should use the best practices outlined in this access sites for human-powered boating (e.g., document. Existing sites should also seek kayaking, canoeing, and rowing). The City will opportunities to implement measures such as periodically assess the need to update the doc- education and signage that are consistent with ument to reflect input from site managers and these best practices. This document does not the boating community as implemented, and prohibit any current or future actions or “rein- to reflect future changes in water quality condi- vent the wheel”—rather, it seeks to identify and tions based on ongoing data collection efforts leverage existing knowledge and resources. and improvement programs including the Shoelace Fort Knox Inwood Hill Pelham Bay Dyckman Marina Public Access Points Sherman Creek EXISTING PUBLIC ACCESS POINT Starlight Park Concrete Plant W. Harlem Piers FUTURE CITY-FUNDED Hunts Point Soundview PUBLIC ACCESS POINT Barretto Point Clason Point Hunts Point Landing Francis Lewis 79 St. Boat Basin Macneil Park Riverside South Little Bay CITY PARKLAND Bayside Marina Pier 96 Hallets Cove Pier 84 World’s Fair Pier 66 Manhattan Avenue Pier 40 Newtown Creek 25 Main Street Pier 1 Governors Island Valentino Pier Gowanus Canal Idlewild 69th St Bay Ridge North Channel Thurston Basin Paerdegat Basin Canarsie Pier Buono Beach Mill Basin Marina Salt Marsh Sunset Marina Mill Basin Outlet Bayswater Floyd Bennett South Beach Plumb Beach Riis Landing Rockaway Point Great Kills Lemon Creek Figure 1: Existing and future city-funded access points for launching human-powered boats. Conference House Source: NYC Watertrail; Department of Parks and Recreation 3 IMPLEMENTATION Courtesy Don Riepe - American Littoral Society New public access sites may be initiated as • Private property owners are encouraged to part of privately or publicly-sponsored devel- think about appropriate siting early in their opments along the waterfront or requests from design process when proposing water- the boating or local community. As a result, front development. Site managers submit- ting Water Trail nomination forms, or seeking several nomination and review processes are public support for grant proposals for new described below to address the different ways access, should describe best practices as in which these site selection considerations and part of their public health and safety plan. best practices should be used to promote pub- • For locations on city property, the agency lic health and safety. This document should be responsible for that property will maintain considered representative of City policy and will public health and safety plans as part of proj- be used to guide related decision making. How- ect documentation, and should reference ever, it does not form the basis for a new review best practices in requests for proposals. process. These best practices are posted and linked to • For new access sites that require a city, state, the websites of various city agencies for public or federal discretionary action, these best and private entities proposing new access for practices should inform the determination of consistency with the Waterfront Revitalization human-powered boating to reference. As a liv- Program, the City’s Coastal Zone Manage- ing document to be updated based on continu- ment regulatory program. ous lessons learned and stakeholder input, it is recommended that users regularly check online for the most up-to-date version. 4 WATER QUALITY Courtesy Christopher Schiffner Considerations for Site Selection secondary contact recreation (SC) and second- Waterbodies in New York City are classified by ary contact recreation only (I). Many waters of the New York State Department of Environmen- the city currently meet or exceed criteria for tal Conservation (DEC) according to their best secondary contact recreation. uses.1 Classifications indicate whether the water is required to be suitable for swimming, boat- Waterbodies that are classified for fish survival ing, fishing, and shellfishing, and are subject to (SD) do not meet the requirements for primary change depending on the demonstrated attain- or secondary contact. In addition, some water- ment of related bacteria and dissolved oxygen ways have been designated as Environmental standards. DEC identifies best uses by taking Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites for into consideration the physical, chemical, and the presence of hazardous substances in water biological characteristics of the waterbody and and sediment. When planning for public access, its use and value for wildlife protection and rec- property owners, site managers, and commu- reational, industrial, and navigational purposes. nity groups should give preference to locations in primary or secondary contact waterbodies Figure 2 on the following page shows water and might in the future also consider local near- quality classifications in New York City and the shore water quality monitoring data. corresponding numeric criteria for bacteria and dissolved oxygen. Ideal conditions for pub- The greatest water quality concern is from com- lic access include locations where designated bined sewer overflows (CSOs), which occur dur- best use is primary and secondary contact ing certain storm events when rainfall and runoff recreation (SA and SB per New York State’s are greater than the design capacity of the com- waterbody classification system). Other water- bined sewer system, causing a mix of untreated bodies are designated for limited primary and sewage and stormwater runoff to discharge into waterbodies. When stormwater runoff enters 5 Figure 2: Water Quality Standards for Waterways of New York City 6 combined sewers during rainstorms, treat- outfalls, including Tier 4 and 5, are shown in the ment plants can reach their capacity, and, as NYC OASIS map2, and are posted with signs at a result, mechanisms called “regulators” divert the actual location of the outfall. a mix of sewage and stormwater to the water- ways which discharge at points referred to as For best practices, maintaining a buffer of at “outfalls.” Approximately two-thirds of the city least 750 feet from a CSO outfall is recom- drains to combined sewers, with the remaining mended for public access sites that involve pri- 3 areas draining either to separate storm sewer mary or secondary contact. While it may not systems or directly to adjacent waterbodies. always be possible to maintain this distance when selecting a new site, the City advises that CSO outfalls are classified by tiers depending the best practices described herein should be on the volume of annual discharge: Tier 1 out- used to make users aware of proximity to CSO falls comprise roughly 50% of all CSO volume, outfalls and advise of precautionary measures Tier 2 outfalls discharge an additional 20%, Tier during wet weather, including limiting contact 3 outfalls discharge an additional 10%, and Tier and practicing proper hygiene. More information 4 and 5 comprise the remaining CSO volume. regarding CSOs, including current CSO water- Figure 3 shows Tier 1, 2, and 3 outfalls. All body advisories, is available