4 JANUARY 10, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Ridgewood Reservoir gets protected status at last
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
Conservationists and elected offi -
cials scored a victory announced
on Monday that the Ridgewood
Reservoir would get the protected status
many along the Brooklyn-Queens
border believe it deserves.
NYC Parks and the state Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
fi led the 50 acre wetland under Class I
protected status under the Freshwater
Protection Act of 1975 and city, state
and federal representatives discussed
the signifi cance of the wildlife haven.
The nonprofi t agency NYC H2O has
worked to protect the reservoir for
years by writing legislation at the state
and federal levels and using the site
teach students about environmental
science.
“The Ridgewood Reservoir is a
majestic place,” NYC H2O’s Executive
Director Matt Malina said. “Its Class
I wetland designation protects it as
an ecological treasure and allows the
public to discover this treasure today
and for generations to come. In the
course of bringing a new generation
of New Yorkers to visit and experience
the site, we realized that that we had
become stakeholders in advocating for
its preservation and protection. The
support of DEC Commissioner Basil
Seggos, elected offi cials, community
leaders and organizations has been
critical to preventing the Reservoir’s
demolition, designating it as a historic
site, protecting its wetlands and in
advocating for its future.”
Late-flowering boneset, fringed
boneset, globe-fruited ludwigia, shorteared
owl and pied-billed grebe are all
threatened or endangered plant and
animal species that call the reservoir
home which are some of the criteria for
Class I designation.
“The recent designation of the Ridgewood
Reservoir as a Class I wetland is
wonderful news and a great victory
for the community and area activists
along with myself and the other
elected offi cials,” Assemblyman Mike
Miller said. “We have advocated and
supported this designation because
the Ridgewood Reservoir is a cultural
and ecological treasure. The Reservoir
contains over 100 species of birds and
wildlife. This designation for the
reservoir will forever protect it from
development and preserve it for generations
to come.”
The movement to protect the reservoir
has been gaining momentum
over time.
In February 2018, it was added to
the National Register of Historic Places
with the help of NYC H2O for the
role the reservoir played in supplying
water to the Brooklyn in the late 19th
century.
It was decommissioned aft er 100
years of use as it stood as one of the few
places where clean drinking water
could be found in the surrounding
area, but was taken over by the city
Parks Department in 2004.
“NYC Parks has worked to study
and maintain the Ridgewood Reservoir
as a recreational amenity and
a habitat for rare fl ora and fauna.
NYC Parks and DEC ecologists and
natural resource managers worked
hand-in-hand, conducting the vegetation
and hydrologic delineation
to produce new wetland maps using
standard scientifi c methods, for the
classifi cation,” Marit Larson, NYC
Parks Chief of Natural Resources,
said. “This designation affi rms the
site’s importance and provides the
maximum ecological protection
for this exceptional urban wetland
community. At over 50 acres, the
Ridgewood Reservoir is one of the
most unique natural and cultural
resource in NYC Parks’ portfolio.”
The vast majority of the city’s clean
water supply comes from reservoirs
upstate.
“Many people have worked long
and hard to preserve the Ridgewood
Reservoir and ensure it is protected
for years to come,” City Councilman
Robert Holden said. “I believe that
earning another designation for this
site is a testament to their commitment
to our local environment.”
Ridgewood Reservoir sits on the
western edge of Highland Park on the
Brooklyn/Queens border, making it
a popular destination for bird-watchers
and other forms of recreation.
“The Ridgewood Reservoir is a
local ecological gem and this new
designation will ensure it is preserved
for future generations. Not
only will this mean recreational
opportunities for New Yorkers to enjoy
the outdoors, but also hundreds
of plant and animal species will be
protected,” Congresswoman Nydia
Velázquez said.
The Ridgewood Reservoir has
seen tougher times, noted NYC H2O,
and in 1989 was almost completely
completely drained aft er being disconnected
from the city’s water system.
The freshwater wetlands, left to
their own devices, made a dramatic
comeback, replenishing its water
source and once again being a home
for plants and birdlife who make it a
stopover on the Atlantic Flyway.
File photo/RIDGEWOOD TIMES
The lake at the heart of the Ridgewood Reservoir
Glendale Property
Owners board installed
Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Mike Miller
The offi cers and board members of the Glendale Property Owners Association were sworn in for a year of
duty during the organization’s Jan. 3 meeting at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall. Assemblyman Mike Miller and
State Senator Joseph Addabbo administered the oaths of offi ce to the group’s president, Brian Dooley, and
the GPOA board. Shown in the photo (from left to right) are Margaret Kotnik, Susan Petchauer, Norbert Giesse,
Bob Kozlowski, Chris Kurre, Brian Dooley, Howard Jaeger, Michelle Cook-Lopez, Clara Sarracco and Tony Hund.
The civic group meets on the fi rst Thursday each month at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall, located at the corner of Myrtle
Avenue and 68th Street.
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