Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan Volume I – Regional Profile New York City Department of Environmental Protection Emily Lloyd, Commissioner October 1, 2007 Volume 1: Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................iii Chapter 1 - Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 THE VALUE OF JAMAICA BAY .............................................................................................. 1 1.2 IS JAMAICA BAY LIKE CENTRAL PARK?........................................................................... 3 1.3 LOCAL LAW 71 AND INTRODUCTION 376 .......................................................................... 4 1.4 ORGANIZATION OF THIS PLAN ............................................................................................ 5 Chapter 2 - Jamaica Bay and Its Watershed: Landscape and Setting............................................. 7 2.1 JAMAICA BAY ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 HISTORICAL SETTING ............................................................................................................. 8 2.3 GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING.................................................................................................... 15 2.4 CLIMATOLOGICAL SETTING .............................................................................................. 18 2.5 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ............................................................................................................ 20 2.6 HYDROLOGY............................................................................................................................. 22 2.7 GROUND WATER SUPPLY ..................................................................................................... 25 2.8 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................. 27 Chapter 3 - Water Quality ................................................................................................................. 29 3.1 BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 29 3.2 WATER QUALITY OF THE BAY ........................................................................................... 30 3.2.1 Water Quality Standards............................................................................................................ 30 3.2.2 Nitrogen...................................................................................................................................... 32 3.2.3 Dissolved Oxygen ....................................................................................................................... 32 3.2.4 Pathogens ................................................................................................................................... 35 3.2.5 Chlorophyll α.............................................................................................................................. 35 3.3 WATER QUALITY OF THE TRIBUTARIES ........................................................................ 36 3.3.1 The Tributaries........................................................................................................................... 36 3.3.2 Bergen and Thurston Basins..................................................................................................... 37 3.4 POLLUTANT SOURCES...........................................................................................................39 3.4.1 Background ................................................................................................................................39 3.4.2 Wastewater Discharges .............................................................................................................. 39 3.4.3 Combined Sewer Overflows ....................................................................................................... 42 3.4.4 Storm Sewers.............................................................................................................................. 43 3.4.5 Landfills...................................................................................................................................... 43 3.4.6 Ground Water............................................................................................................................. 43 3.4.7 Atmospheric Deposition............................................................................................................. 43 3.4.8 Tidal Exchange and Rockaway Inlet ........................................................................................ 44 3.5 RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF POLLUTANT SOURCES.............................................. 44 3.6 CURRENT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS WATER QUALITY CONCERNS IN JAMAICA BAY AND ITS TRIBUTARIES........................................................................................................ 45 3.6.1 Nitrogen Control Order on Consent/Consent Judgment.......................................................... 45 3.6.2.CSO Consent Order ................................................................................................................... 46 3.6.3.Comprehensive Jamaica Bay Water Quality Plan.................................................................... 46 October 1, 2007 i Volume 1: Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan 3.6.4 Other Water Pollution Control Plants Projects and Program................................................. 47 3.6.5 Combined Sewer Overflow Retention Projects and Programs................................................. 48 3.7 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................. 50 Chapter 4 - Ecology ............................................................................................................................ 52 4.1 THE JAMAICA BAY ECOSYSTEM........................................................................................ 52 4.2 AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT..................................................................................................... 53 4.3 WETLANDS................................................................................................................................. 57 4.4 SEDIMENT QUALITY IN THE BAY ...................................................................................... 61 4.5 SHORELINE................................................................................................................................ 65 4.6 UPLANDS..................................................................................................................................... 67 4.7 URBAN ECOLOGY.................................................................................................................... 69 4.8 VEGETATION ............................................................................................................................ 70 4.9 WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................................... 73 4.10 INVASIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................................ 73 4.11 CURRENT ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION EFFORTS IN JAMAICA BAY................ 73 4.12 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................... 73 Chapter 5 - Public Access, Open Space, and Recreation................................................................. 73 Chapter 6 - Land Use and Development........................................................................................... 73 6.1 WATERSHED NEIGHBORHOODS ........................................................................................ 73 6.2 LAND USE PLANNING AND ZONING .................................................................................. 73 6.2.1 Land Use..................................................................................................................................... 73 6.2.2 Zoning ........................................................................................................................................ 73 6.3 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................. 73 Chapter 7 - Watershed Stakeholders and Public Outreach Efforts............................................... 73 7.1 GOVERNMENTAL AND REGULATORY AGENCIES ....................................................... 73 7.2 NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.................................. 73 7.3 PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THIS PLAN.......................................... 73 Chapter 8 - Previous and Current Planning Efforts........................................................................ 73 8.1 THE PAST.................................................................................................................................... 73 8.2 RESTORATION/CONSERVATION PLANS .......................................................................... 73 8.3 OTHER NEW YORK