The Forgotten River
Queens' 'Forgotten River' Looks Ahead to Cleanup and Change
Link to article:
https://ny.curbed.com/2014/10/9/10037212/queens-forgotten-river-looks-ahead-to-cleanup-and-change
- Once known as the Valley of Ashes and now called The Forgotten River, it currently follows a twisted four mile path through Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and into Flushing Bay, beginning as a crystal clear creek in a nature preserve and ending in a sewage-choked industrial inlet. Forced along an artificial route, the river emerges from underneath an MTA train yard, transforms into man-made Willow Lake and Meadow Lake, squeezes into narrow canals underneath a maze of highway overpasses, fills the Pool of Industry and the Fountain of the Planets, and passes through an underground pipe into the Pitch 'N Putt pond. (Illustrates the path the waterway takes from North to South- into FMCP)
- It regularly overflows its banks in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, flooding roads, ballfields, and Franco's golf course. North of the park, it is flanked by the neighborhoods of Willets Point, Flushing, and College Point, which often flood with the slightest rain. "When they get a storm, that affects us," said Franco. "This over here is below sea level." Originally a marshland, the land around the waterway no longer absorbs enough rainwater, and "the area's waters receive approximately 10 truckloads of human feces a year from sewer overflows," according to the Times Ledger.
- For many years, gaining access to these waters has been extremely difficult. Reaching the riverbank often involves climbing barricades, squeezing through holes in fences, navigating flooded dirt roads, or clambering through thick overgrowth. (This is precisely what I had to do in order to get access to any spaces near or at the waterfront, even walking along a path that wasn't pedestrian friendly and another that was definitely not meant for pedestrian crossing) Recently, however, several Parks Department projects have sought to bring the public back to the water. The Willow Lake Preserve reopened in 2013 after being closed for 15 years, a popular new boat rental concession was launched this past summer, and several cleanup projects of the "sickly yellowish-green" waters of Meadow Lake are now underway.
-Developers have also been plotting ways to capitalize on the Flushing River waterfront. As the redevelopment of Willets Point progresses, property owners across the water in Flushing have tried for years to create a link between the two neighborhoods, including forming a new group this summer, Friends of Flushing Creek, to push for a cleanup. Ideas for the northern industrial section of this waterfront have included a promenade and a pedestrian bridge, but large swaths of land there remain empty, overgrown, and abandoned, littered with debris and populated only by homeless camps. "You can't get down there because it's nowhere land," said Jerry Franco (*Franco is the manager of the golf course over at Flushing Meadows Corona Park for OVER 20 YEARS, SINCE 1994)
-The wide northern section of the Flushing River is lined by industry, including concrete plants and asphalt manufacturers.
-Water from Willets Point drains into the Flushing River here. This section of waterfront was restored to a marshland in 2008 as part of a highway project. **LOOK AT THIS ARTICLE - https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/flushing-river-wetlands-project-soaked-article-1.330772 **
^ - AS PART OF A HIGHWAY PROJECT IN 2008:
-Workers planted 90,000 native marsh grasses. Some appear to have
survived, although the area is polluted by lead and mercury
- On the Flushing side of the river, no cleanup has taken place. Several empty lots face the water, overgrown and covered in rubble
- Construction along the Flushing side of the river mainly consists of big-box stores, malls and storage warehouses. This self-storage building will be completed in spring 2015. **** NOTE THIS WAS TRUE AT THE TIME AROUND 2014, BUT NOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION OF BIG GLASS BUILDINGS , LUXURY BUILDINGS ETC. AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, THERE ARE SEVERAL ONGOING NEW CONSTRUCTIONS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT MUCH OF FLUSHING -- NOT INCLUDING THE PROPOSED LUXURY WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT!
-The 7 train crosses above the Van Wyck Expressway, both built on supports sunk into the creek. The Flushing River is covered over by a web of bridges, highways, and overpasses.
-The abandoned waterfront is blockaded by rusted metal bulkheads, but fish and birds have found a home amongst the floating garbage.
-South of the fountain (WITHIN FMCP), the river flows past a tangle of eight overpasses and bridges, with piles sunk into the water. Few park visitors use this section of the water.
-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The New York Times Article -
Long Neglected, Lakes and Ponds in City Parks Will Get Some Attention
- It is the largest lake in New York City, a historic salt marsh that was flooded when Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was fashioned from a former ash dump to host the 1939 World’s Fair
- At Meadow Lake, excessive algae can turn the water a sickly yellowish-green and the shore is lined with phragmites, an invasive reed. Its waters are compromised by runoff from the nearby Grand Central Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway, spent coals from barbecues in the park and even goose droppings.
-They (TALKING ABOUT " CITY PONDS" SUCH AS MEADOW LAKE AND WILLOW LAKE AND FLUSHING CREEK IN GENERAL) have a relatively high nutrient load and get algae blooms that can cause an aesthetic nuisance and worse ecological problems.” One potential problem is depleted oxygen, which can harm ecosystems and occasionally cause fish kills, Ms. Larson said. Another issue is the proliferation of blue-green algae, technically called cyanobacteria, which poses health risks to people and animals. Contact with blue-green algae can result in nausea, vomiting, skin and throat irritations, breathing difficulty and diarrhea.
Development will damage Flushing Meadows’ role as marshy buffer against storm surge and coastal flooding
By JASON MUNSHI-SOUTH
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
DEC 03, 2012 AT 4:00 AM
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is no stranger to bold plans that usher in major changes. However, these new developments resemble the worst excesses of Robert Moses rather than his success in originally creating the park. True boldness requires further protective wetland restoration in the park. In 2002, the Gaia Institute prepared a plan to connect Meadow and Willow Lakes, dramatically increase the amount of wetlands they contain, and bring stormwater drainage above ground as part of a restored marsh ecosystem, a approach called "daylighting."
These changes would be a great start toward improving water quality, bringing nature recreation opportunities to underserved communities and protecting the park and surrounding areas from the impacts of severe weather.
The continued suffering of our neighbors after Superstorm Sandy is the most visible illustration of just how deeply unwise it is to continue degrading coastal marsh areas like Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Dr. Jason Munshi-South is an assistant professor of Environmental Science and Biology in the Department of Natural Science at Baruch College. As a resident of Jackson Heights, he enjoys frequent visits to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park with his wife and two children.
Comments
Post a Comment