Ridgewood Reservoir gets protected status
BY MARK HALLUM
Conservationists and
elected officials scored a victory
announced 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) filed the 50-acre
wetland under Class I
protected status under the
Freshwater Protection Act
of 1975 and city, state and
federal representatives
discussed the significance of
the wildlife haven.
The nonprofit 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 we had become
stakeholders in advocating
for its preservation and
protection. The support of DEC
Commissioner Basil Seggos,
elected officials, community
leaders and organizations has
been critical to preventing
the Reservoir’s demolition,
The late-afternoon sun over the Ridgewood Reservoir in this photo taken in January 2008.
designating it as a historic site,
protecting its wetlands and in
advocating for its future.”
Late-flowering boneset,
fringed boneset, globe-fruited
ludwigia, short-eared 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 officials,”
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
File Photo
after 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 flora
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
scientific methods, for the
classification,” Marit Larson,
NYC Parks Chief of Natural
Resources, said. “This
designation affirms 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 drained
after being disconnected from
the city’s water system.
Gas main break wreaks havoc in East Elmhurst
BY MARK HALLUM
A gas main burst from a
wall collapse on Northern
Boulevard between 112th
Place at 114th Street in
East Elmhurst last Friday,
warranting a response
from multiple agencies and
possibly causing one non-life
threatening injury.
FDNY responded to the
incident around 2 p.m. on Jan.
4 and said the a gas explosion
had rocked the street in
East Elmhurst next to a
constriction site, shooting dirt
everywhere.
The construction site, which
appears to be in the early stages
of being erected, is not confirmed
to have caused the damage to
the main, according to ConEd,
who shut off two valves upon
arriving at the scene.
Con Edison further
reported that a retaining
wall at the construction site
collapsed, and that triggered
the ensuing gas main break.
The Fire Department said
that a partial street collapse
ensued and the injury that
was reported may have been
from a preexisting condition
not related to gas line burst.
FDNY aerial footage shows
the retaining wall to the
construction site sustained a
large hole where dirt poured in
and caused the street to collapse.
The city Department of
Buildings was on site to assess
safety as well as the city
Department of Environmental
Protection who were
responding to a water main
break, according to ConEd.
The energy provider
said there were no customer
outages in the area resulting
from the blast.
Reach reporter Mark
Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4564.
A Con Edison gas main burst in East Elmhurst Friday afternoon
makes a mess of Northern Boulevard. Courtesy of FDNY
TIMESLEDGER,36 JAN. 11-17, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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