2022 Community Water Quality Testing Results: Weekly Blog
/Week 21: October 7 — Post-Season Reminders
As we have shared in the past, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is collecting information on water uses and all local water quality data dating back to 1975. These insights will inform the department's upcoming decisions to relax or strengthen water quality protections for the area.
We urge you to submit information about how you use and access waterways throughout New York State on this interactive map produced by Riverkeeper, Save the Sound, and Pratt Institute Spatial Analysis and Visualization Initiative before Tuesday, October 18.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
We hope to see you at our End of Season CWQT Celebration on October 13 from 6-8PM at Billion Oyster Project's Williamsburg Field Station, 266 Kent Ave. We will have snacks, games, and brief presentations about NYC's water quality by the Billion Oyster Project team, John Jay College, Queens College, and more.
RSVP to waterquality@billionoysterproject.org.Celebrate all things marine science at Hudson River Park’s SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival, October 15 from 11AM-3PM (link)
This interactive science festival invites the public to grow through awesome experiments, kid-approved entertainment and more.Check out +Pool and Interstate Environmental Commission’s end of season water quality report (link)
Read up on Riverkeeper’s 12 recommendations for ‘building an equitably green New York City’ (link)
The plan, made in collaboration with organizations working all across NYC’s harbor, focuses on Green Infrastructure and Stormwater Control. Add your support by sending a message to the Mayor’s office.NYCHA Performs Milestone Crane Lift for Sandy Recovery Program (link)
On August 24, the 144th, and final, crane lift of NYCHA’s Sandy recovery program was performed for a rooftop generator at Hammel Houses in Rockaway, Queens.NY/NJ Baykeeper is in need of 5 volunteers to help with heavy lifting related to their oyster castle installation on Monday, October 10 at 11:30 in Leonardo, NJ
Email sandra@nynjbaykeeper.org for more information.Calling all water users— how do you use the water? Use this interactive map to show where you swim, paddle, fish, and access our waterfront!
In response to the DEC's request for information regarding their proposal to modify the designated uses (and corresponding water quality criteria that protect those uses) of all saline waters from the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound up to the Bear Mountain Bridge crossing of the Hudson River, please document evidence of “primary contact” recreational use of saline waters that could lead to submergence or ingestion of waters or evidence of fishing, dating back to 1975. For more information about the DEC’s request click here.
Week 20: September 29
With 1.11 inches of rain falling in Central Park on Sunday and an otherwise dry week, many of our sites had a chance to clear up before sampling on Thursday. And with that, our 20 week sampling season has come to an end.
Together we collected and processed over 1,100 samples this year, and our CWQT master data sheet hit a milestone of over 10,000 samples. Thank you so much to all of the samplers, lab techs, and site coordinators who made it happen!
We hope to see you at the end of season CWQT party on Thursday, October 13 from 6-8PM at Billion Oyster Project's Williamsburg Field Station, 266 Kent Ave. We will have snacks, games, and brief presentations about NYC's water quality by the Billion Oyster Project team, John Jay College, Queens College, and more.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
12 storm surge gates: Army Corps proposes $52 billion barriers for New York-New Jersey waterways (link)
’Several environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Riverkeeper, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Guardians of Flushing Bay, and Newtown Creek Alliance, have expressed grave concerns about the barriers.’Whale population rapidly growing off Brooklyn coast (link)
‘Sightings are increasing because the Hudson River has been getting cleaner, which is attracting more fish enticing more whales. “They’re chasing the bait. Where the bait is, that’s where we’ll find them pretty much,” he said. According to Steinhardt, this migration has been developing over a decade. “First year that we were out, we spotted five whales,” he said. “The entire season. Now we have whales 97% of the time on our trips.”’
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
We love a sample selfie. Ben Solotaire started sampling Gowanus Canal Sponge Park this year!
United Kingdom's Royal Navy arrived on The HMS Queen Elizabeth this Monday, docked near the statue of liberty, to host the Atlantic Future Forum.
All smiles out in queens this week. Hunters Point 2nd St Kayak Launch and Gantry state park samples by Faisal Khaled Al-asad.
Randall's Island Park Alliance’s very last sample of the season! Molly Gleason, field tech and educator, is pictured checking the salinity at Water’s Edge Garden Beach. 31ppt if anybody is interested! Photo by Jackie Wu.
Jackie Wu from Randall's Island Park Alliance found A pair of blue crabs, illuminated by sunlight, in a copulatory hold at the Bronx Kill East site.
Peter Milne Greiner, who sampled English Kills and the East Branch of Newtown Creek this year, processed samples in the Williamsburg water quality lab this week.
Billion Oyster Project Research Associate Technician Nick Ring, and Waterfront Director Daniel Weston out collecting samples, pictured at Valentino Pier.
While most of this week's Newtown Creek samples look a little brown, It was most noticeable in Peter’s East Branch Grand St. Bridge sample.
The Flushing Creek shoreline as seen by Gurdians of Flushing Bay’s Rachel Wu.
Kissena lake looking serine. sampled by leona chin and kissena synergy.
Week 19: September 22
Central Park recorded a total of .61 inches of rainfall this past week, with .47 falling yesterday. Early morning downpours caused waterbody advisories by 8am for areas like the lower Bronx River, Coney Island Creek, Newtown Creek, and Flushing Creek. Shout out to everyone who braved the weather to go collect their samples this week!
There's only one more week of sampling left in the 2022 CWQT season! Rounding out the season, our end of year CWQT Party is set for October 13, from 6-8pm. We hope to see you at Billion Oyster Project’s Williamsburg Field Station where we'll enjoy snacks, games, and presentations from partner labs.
New CWQT Homepage
Billion Oyster Project is proud to carry on the hard work and dedication of Rob Buchanan, Nancy Brous, and the New York City Water Trail Association — working side-by-side with like-minded organizations and volunteers to collect weekly water samples from New York Harbor.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Queens politicians urge Mayor Adams to consider purchasing Queens homes at risk of flooding during storms (link)
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng led a letter to Mayor Adams urging him to consider implementing a voluntary buyout program for homes in the borough that are at risk of severe flooding during storms.Flooding Toilets Are The New Normal In Park Slope, Locals Say (link)
[thank you Eymund Diegel for sharing]What Lies Beneath: Hunting the hidden streams of Red Hook with Brooklyn’s forensic geographer extraordinaire, Eymund Diegel (link)
Check out this feature on long time CWQT sampler Eymund Diegel and what he calls C.S.I.— “creek scene investigations”
Massive Fish Kill on the Bronx River (link)
Late in August the Bronx River experienced a massive fish kill. On August 31st the river’s level suddenly rose. Bronx River Alliance staff noted that the river had an unusually powerful, musty stench that could be smelled from a distance. At the NYBG, staff noticed that the river had become very cloudy, and a thick, white foam was forming on the river’s surface. Then, they began to notice dead and dying fish drifting downstream. The dying fish were in distress, gasping at the water’s surface, moving into shallow areas, and in some cases crawling out onto dry land as if escaping from something in the water.How to help victims of Hurricane Fiona (link)
Hurricane Fiona, which reached hurricane strength Sunday left more than 1 million people in Puerto Rico without power and roughly the same number of residents in the Dominican Republic without running water.Join Guardians of Flushing Bay for Saturday at the Bay in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday, September 24 from 12-4PM (RSVP here)
Guardians of Flushing Bay is hosting a free, public, outdoor fundraiser that includes activities like dragon boating and kayaking, art making, walking tours, raffles, and more! Entry is donation-based and open to the public.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Osprey pole nest with lightning at the Sunset Park Lagoon sampling site. Photo by Eymund Diegel.
The crew at City Park in Bayonne on Newark Bay (their cleanest site by far) celebrates the last sample of the season! From left to right, Captain Hugh M. Carola, Program Director at Hackensack Riverkeeper, Inc., Hackensack Riverkeeper trustee Susan Golden, and Bill Getreuer - who had 100% attendance this season! Photo by Hackensack Riverkeeper Outreach Coordinator, Tyler Tierney.
Billion oyster project research associate technician, Hector Prud'homme, samples South 5th street in Williamsburg with a boat pole.
Floatables spotted last week at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Photo by Agata Poniatowski.
More lightning on the way to sample Thursday morning. Captured by Billion Oyster Project Community science manager Anna Weiss.
Week 18: September 16
Central Park received 1.54 inches of rain this week and it shows. The majority of reporting sample sites have enterococcus levels above the NYC Dept. of Health standard for swimmable water.
Save the date: our end of year CWQT party is set for October 13 from 6-8PM at BOP’s Williamsburg Field Station. Let us know if you’d like to share any research or additional data during the event! Hope to see you there.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
EPA Secures Settlement with General Electric Company to Study the Lower Hudson River (link)
Under the terms of the legal administrative agreement, GE will immediately develop a plan for extensive water, sediment, and fish sampling between the Troy Dam and the mouth of the New York Harbor. While polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) will be a focus of the data collection in the Lower Hudson River, other contaminants will be evaluated as well.City Council to launch two investigations into NYCHA water quality (link)
Two City Council chairs have sent a letter to the head of the New York City Housing Authority, opening investigations into water quality concerns. The move comes after public housing tenants at the Jacob Riis Houses in Manhattan went without water for a week as they waited for more information on a positive arsenic test in the water supply.Join the Gowanus Dredgers Mussel Survey, Sunday, September 18th, 8-11AM (RSVP here)
Gary Francis will lead a group in conducting community research on Atlantic ribbed mussel populations along the shore of our Bunker Launch Site at 2 19th Street, Brooklyn. You will be helping us conduct a survey to determine approximate mussel population densities in the rocky scree slopes on the shores of Dredgers Bight near the mouth of the Gowanus Canal.
Cloudburst Management in NYC for Long-Term Resilience, Tuesday, September 20, 5:30PM to 7PM (RSVP here)
NYC's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner and Chief Climate Officer Rit Aggarwala will outline a long-term stormwater resiliency vision for NYC to manage extreme rain. Join DEP for a virtual presentation to learn more about how New York City manages stormwater every day, our approach to cloudburst management, and upcoming work.
Climate Art and Climate Science, September 21, at 5PM at Pier 16 aboard tall ship Wavertree (RSVP here)
How does art help translate scientific information to the general public and spur action? How can artists collaborate with scientists to support each other’s work? What areas of current research would be fruitful for creative exploration? Artists Matthew López-Jensen, Mary Mattingly, Edrex Fontanilla, and Sarah Nelson Wright will be joined by science educator Kendra Krueger, and the panel will be moderated by Waterfront Alliance’s CEO, Cortney Koenig Worrall.Join Guardians of Flushing Bay for Saturday at the Bay in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday, September 24 from 12-4PM (RSVP here)
Guardians of Flushing Bay is hosting a free, public, outdoor fundraiser that includes activities like dragon boating and kayaking, art making, walking tours, raffles, and more! Entry is donation-based and open to the public.To confront rising sea levels, an NYC artist invites you to stand in the East River for 12 hours (link)
Read up on Sarah Cameron Sunde’s performance this past weekend.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Spartina Sea Grass Grows along Flushing Creek, photo by Guardians of Flushing Bay’s Rachel wu.
BOP’s new NYU Intern Charlie Olson Samples North 3rd st in Williamsburg.
A school of Bunker spotted at Liberty Landing, NJ. Photo by Agata Poniatowski.
magaly benitez from Gantry State Park samples with the community science team at BUshwick Inlet.
Water quality adjacent: inside the old croton aqueduct on DEP’s Watershed Forestry Bus Tour for Non-formal Educators.
Kissena Lake, looking perhaps a little less green than the past couple weeks? Photo by Leona Chin and Kissena Synergy.
Week 17: September 9
While Central Park received .78 inches of rain on Wednesday, rain gauges at NYC’s Wastewater Treatment Facilities measured up to 1.01 inches during the storm, with a peak intensity of up to .33 inches per hour in places like Coney Island Creek and Paerdegat Basin.
Most of our reported sample sites this week had a sharp decline in water quality. Only 12 of our reported 50 sites on Friday afternoon were swimmable by NYC Department of Health standards.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
NYC flood map shows where Ida hit hardest — and where urgent action is still needed (link)
Newtown Odyssey Public Workshop, Saturday September 10 from 4:00 to 10:00 pm (link)
This public workshop by Newtown Odyssey presents two scenes from the upcoming floating opera Newtown Odyssey, a collaborative project with Marie Lorenz (artist), Dana Spiotta (writer), Kurt Rohde (musician), with support from the Newtown Creek Alliance. The workshop will feature singer Charlotte Mundy, singer/horn player Kyra Sims, and percussionist Josh Perry, with an additional performance element by Melissa Brown. In Sept. 2023, the full opera will be produced on moving vessels at Plank Road.
36.5 / NEW YORK ESTUARY a performance by Sarah Cameron Sunde on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 7:27AM to 8:06PM in Astoria, Queens (link)
Inspired by the realizations and devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, 36.5 is a piece of collective, international performance and video art working to bring awareness to sea level rise, build solidarity with our global community, and deepen the human relationship with water. In each of the eight locations where Sarah has completed the work to date (Maine, Mexico, San Francisco, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Brazil, Kenya, and Aotearoa-New Zealand), she stands in a body of water for an entire tidal cycle, allowing it to completely engulf, then reveal, her body to represent sea level rising on a person in an act of warning, hope, and solidarity with all across the world experiencing the climate crisis.
Poliovirus Detected in Wastewater Samples from Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County, New York City and Now Nassau County (link)
The New York State Department of Health launched a wastewater surveillance program in August after the identification of a case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated individual in Rockland County.
Sea Change podcast: Recycling Sails into Shelters with Angela Abshier (listen here)
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Billion Oyster Project’s Research Associate Technician, nIck ring, samples south 5th street. Check out CSO NC-012 in the back right, which dumps about 24 million gallons of combined sewage in to the east river annualy.
Though this weeks Pier 101 sample was safe to swim, Floatables linger in the harbor after this weeks rain nearby on governors island. Photographed by Agata Poniatowski.
Up close view of the Pier 101 floatables. Lots of foam and bottles. Photographed by Agata Poniatowski
<3 Love notes from samplers! <3 Hunters point, 2nd street kayak launch in lic sampled by Faisal Khaled Al-asad.
Spotted in lower harbor— Do you know what the pilots are? captains on the pilot fleet take over cargo ships coming from abroad, they bring them up the Hudson for freight delivery, etc. these captains are the most experienced and most knowledgeable people about every crevice of the Hudson.
Kissena lake looking very green— full of algae and debris. Documented by Leona Chin and Kissena Synergy.
Week 16: September 2
This week marks one year since Hurricane Ida devastated New York City. Although we have not had any storms this season, we continue to see drought conditions throughout the region. Through this juxtaposition we are reminded of the weather extremes we can expect as the climate crisis continues to impact our environment.
With a mere .48 inches of rainfall recorded in Central Park this week, this has been our wettest week since early August. Beach closures were issued for Wolfe's Pond Beach, but many of our sites continue to see falling enterococcus levels.
Questions, comments, or concerns? Contact us at our new email — waterquality@nyharbor.org.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Mayor Adams and the DEP Honor First Anniversary of Hurricane Ida by Announcing Suite of Stormwater Infrastructure Initiatives to Make NYC More Resilient to Intense Rainfall (link)
A network of Green Infrastructure expansion, real-time FloodNet sensors, Cloudburst Pilot projects, Bluebelt program expansion, and porous pavement among new stormwater management toolsListen to Emily Nam’s recording of BOP oysters as part of her SohoRadio show titled Wahduwah (link)
36.5 / NEW YORK ESTUARY a performance by Sarah Cameron Sunde is coming up on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 7:27AM to 8:06PM (link)
36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea is a series of nine site-specific performances and video artworks spanning nine years and six continents with the goal of activating the public on personal, local, and global scales in conversations around climate change, embodied experience, and sea-level rise. Each performance involves Sunde standing in a body of water for a full tidal cycle, allowing the water to engulf, then reveal, her body as a representation of sea level rising on a person.
Riverkeeper has observed and/or received reports of reddish-brown algae in the saline lower Hudson, observed at Alpine, NJ; and in Westchester County at Ossining, Tarrytown and Verplanck Point, especially in embayments near the shoreline
Keep an eye out and report any sightings to DEC’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications program. Visit NYHABS, DEC's harmful algal bloom notification map, to view locations of freshwater HABs in New York State that were reported in the past two weeks. You can report a suspected HAB using the NYHABS online reporting form. Report health concerns related to HABs to the Department of Health at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov, or contact your local health department.In response to DEC's request for information regarding their proposal to modify the designated uses (and corresponding water quality criteria that protect those uses) of all saline waters from the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound up to the Bear Mountain Bridge crossing of the Hudson River, water users are encouraged to document evidence of “primary contact” recreational use of saline waters that could lead to submergence or ingestion of waters or evidence of fishing, dating back to 1975. (link)
Supporting documents, including photos or narrative descriptions, may be submitted to NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3500, Attention: Michelle Tompkins or by email to WQSrulemakings@dec.ny.gov. Written statements must be submitted to the NYSDEC by midnight on October 25, 2022.Save the date! The end of season water quality gathering is scheduled for Thursday, October 13, 2022 from 6 to 8PM.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Cormorants lined up on the floating boom in English Kills by sampler Annie Gugliotta,
Margaret, a new sampler this year with guardians of flushing bay, Sampling sites at the Malcom X promenade along Flushing Bay with her GrandDaughters.
artist Sarah Cameron Sunde came by the williamsburg lab to process the Hallets Cove sample before her upcoming perfoamce ‘36.5 / A Durational performance with the Sea.’ on September 14.
The first samples dropped off at the williamsburg lab are Grand Ferry Park, Bushwick Inlet Park, and Gowanus SPonge Park
Adam guzman, Stewardship coordinator at Riverside Park, hung out with BOP on Thursday to collect east river samples, and process them in our williamsburg lab with BOP’s community science team.
Kissena Lake in Flushing, Queens, looking a little green. sampled by Leona Chin and Kissena Synergy.
Week 15: August 26
Another week with minimal rainfall measured in Central Park— only .23 inches this week. On week 15 of the 2021 season, Central Park measured 8.19 inches of rainfall.
With significantly less rain this year, we are seeing less CSO events, and lower enterococcus levels. This week 32 of our 56 reported sites are swimmable by NYC Dept. of Health enterococcus standards, with 19 of those sites coming in at <10 MPN.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
ConEd in Hot Water after Polluting the Hudson River for Years (link)
”ConEdison could be in very hot water, after it was revealed that the utility giant regularly pumps millions of gallons of wastewater heated far above the natural temperature of the river and contaminated with chemicals like selenium, lead, chromium, copper and chloroform into the Hudson River at Pier 98.”Wastewater Disease Tracking: A Photographic Journey From the Sewer to the Lab (link)
Sorry about the paywall :('Slap in the face': Indigenous Long Islanders say they are being priced out of their ancestral beach (link)
”Citizens of the Shinnecock Indian Nation say they are being denied their rightful access to Coopers Beach…For the homeowners and renters of Southampton Village, parking at the beach is free. But the Shinnecock's 1,600 citizens — roughly half of whom live roughly a mile inland, just beyond the village’s borders — must pay for the privilege to drive to the beach. A nonresident parking pass runs $50 for the day or $500 for the season.”Testing the Waters: Beach Closures Highlight Lax Looks at City Surf (link)
Circling back to the Riis Beach closure in early August— find a quote from water quality expert and CWQT co-founder Rob Buchanan.Take a virtual tour of NYC’s Sludge Boats on NYC Water’s YouTube Channel (link)
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Views from Gowanus— Benjamin Solotaire could have used this scoop for collection THis week.
7am at Kissena lake with Leona Chin and Kissena Synergy
jose Almonte rides his bike to collect weekly samples at Brooklyn Bridge Beach in manhattan, then delivers them to BOP’s Williamsburg Water Quality Lab
Rachel wu of Guardians of Flushing Bay was sampling Big Rock Beach at the perfect time to see….the big rock!
Anyone remember the piano that appeared under the Brooklyn Bridge a few years back? Well, there’s a new one, but it’s not set up in the sand this time. Photo by Jose Almonte
BOP’s Research Associate Technician, Nick Ring, out on the east river sampling with our community science crew.
Week 14: August 19
Wednesday night's rain triggered New York City’s second official Beach Advisory of the season — affecting Wolfe's Pond Beach and Orchard Beach.
Rain gauges at NYC’s 14 wastewater treatment plants showed rainfall ranging from 0 to .26 inches for Wednesday night's storm, while Central Park received .34 inches on Wednesday. Waterbody Advisories were issued for Newtown Creek, the lower Bronx River, Bower Bay, and the lower Hutchinson River.
As for the results, 29 of our 59 reporting sites on Friday afternoon had Enterococcus levels above the NYC Department of Health standards for swimmable water!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
City Comptroller Denies Every Single Financial Claim for Hurricane Ida Flooding (link)
”4,703 New Yorkers filed claims against the city after their homes flooded during Ida. All 4,703 were denied…The crux of the claims is that the city’s negligence in sewer maintenance led to flooding damage.”Free Soil Testing Day at Governors Island on Saturday, August 27, 2022, 12-4PM (link)
Join the NYC Urban Soils Institute for their monthly Free Soils Testing Workshop at Swale House (Building 11) on Governors Island! Bring soil from your home or garden and they will test it for heavy metals content. Check out the link for more details.‘Drift’ Opening Reception at the Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse on September 3, 5-7PM (link)
Artists Jamie Courville and Chris Reynolds will be showing a collection of multimedia artworks centered around the transformation of the neighborhood. It is a celebration and a goodbye, an acknowledgement of the end of an era. To kick off the show, there will be a special procession from Union Street to the boathouse. More information and updates can be found here.‘Severe’ drought designation expanded in NY and parts of northern NJ (link)
The Hudson River Foundation is hiring a Managing Director for Research (link)
[thank you James Scarcella for sharing]
It’s Algae Bloom Season! — DEC’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications (link)
Visit NYHABS, DEC's harmful algal bloom notification map, to view locations of freshwater HABs in New York State that were reported in the past two weeks. You can report a suspected HAB using the NYHABS online reporting form. Report health concerns related to HABs to the Department of Health at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov, or contact your local health department.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Pier 84 by Marcos Dinnerstein. You can see that the sample is taller than an aircraft carrier!
Robert Hothan and his team the River CLeaners collected hundreds of flushable wipes as they washed ashore AT high tide for 3 weeks at Harbishaw Park in Yonkers.
Braving the riprap at Grand Ferry Park, Jie and mika (pictured here) sample together on their Thursday morning walk.
Flushing Bay Worlds Fair Marina site with an oily sheen covering the water and a dragon Boat in the background. sample Collected by Cody Herrmann
Sunrise SAmpling at MacNeil Park in College Point by Guardians of Flushing Bay’s Rachel Wu.
UP close and personal with some of the nearly 1000 wipes and sanitary hygein products collected in Yonkers. Photo shared by Robert Hothan.
Our friends at Randall’s Island Park Alliance found a blue crab molt while sampling Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh. A Modeling molt!
ANyone else need to lay flat on the ground and duck under a railing to collect their sample? Kissena Lake Sample Photographed by Julian Phillips.
Week 13: August 12
Central Park only had .3 inches of rainfall this week, but .11 inches fell on Thursday morning around the time of our regular sampling. Big shout out and gratitude to everyone that collected a sample despite the early morning downpour!
Check out this week’s results to see how your favorite local waterway faired with the Thursday morning rainfall.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
In NYC sewage pathogen news—
NYC wastewater shows link between cryptic COVID variants and worse phases of the pandemic (link)
Polio detected in NYC’s sewage, suggesting virus circulating (link)DEC announces ‘Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making - Potential reclassification of saline waters and related amendments to water quality standards’ (link)
The state is looking to reevaluate the “best use” of many waterways in NYC and beyond and adjust their associated “water quality criteria.” The public has 90 days to make comments about the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making— comments must be submitted to DEC by midnight on October 25, 2022. Public info meetings will be held online on August 31, 2022 and in-person on September 29, 2022.Looking for work? SWIM (Storm Water Infrastructure Matters) Coalition is hiring a Program Manager (link)
$45 per hour with an average 15 hours per week for approximately 12 months with the possibility of extension. Apply by 8AM on August 22, 2022.DEP’s hosting a Green Infrastructure Grant Program workshop September 7, 2022, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Are you a property owner interested in Green Infrastructure? Learn about funding available for green roof retrofits on private property, eligibility requirements, and how to apply. RSVP here.Read about Urban Swim’s latest .8-mile open water swim in NYC’s Harbor (link)
Check out some of their other upcoming swims on the Urban Swim website.
[thank you James Scarcella for sharing this story]Since were talking about swimming…
Baffling and traumatizing': Queens man arrested at Rockaway Beach after off-hours swim (link)[thank you Eymund Diegel for sharing this story]
‘Let's Build a Dock: Community Build Days for a New Gowanus Boat Launch’ on August 13, 14 and 27 with Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club! RSVP here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
High tide this week! Doug Kenney, Randall’s Island Park Alliance restoration coordinator, at the Water's Edge Garden Beach sample location. You can see the 103rd Pedestrian Bridge off in the distance and East Harlem across the water.
KIssena Lake sample in the rain by Leona Chin and the kissena synergy team. ANyone else get caught in the rain this week?
Egrets lined up on a floating boom nearby the grand street bridge sample site. photo by Sampler Annie Gugliotta.
sampling at brooklyn army terminal in sunset park by eymund diegel !
Week 12: August 5
It’s our favorite time of year— August is National Water Quality Month and August 5th is National Oyster Day!
Central Park got about .5 inches of rain this week, about half as much as last week. With no rainfall on Wednesday or Thursday before we took our samples, we can see some of our sites’ bacteria levels are clearing up.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
An admirable commitment to collecting a sample without any mud or sediment in it led Matt, an educator and field technician from Randall's Island PArk Alliance, to find himself knee deep in muck during low tide at Bronx Kill west.
Billion Oyster Project Staff and Interns form a human chain to ensure no one falls of the boat while sampling our East River Sites.
Rachel Wu Samples Flushing Creek in the Distant shadow of citi field.
Newtown Creek was a festive shade of green this week…photographed by Newtown Creek ALliance Volunteer sampler Chris Rooney.
Views of the new Hudson River, 170th St. sample site sent in by Adam Guzman, Stewardship Coordinator for the Riverside Park Conservancy.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Riis Beach is closed for swimming due to high bacteria counts (link)
Are a combination of flash flooding and currents to blame?
Staten Island Ferry labor disputes lead to reduced Ferry service for commuters on Wednesday (link)
Ferry workers in the Marine Engineers Beneficial Union have been without a contract since 2009.
Friday, August 5th: Last day to comment on New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s “Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria”
Check out this opinion piece by Natalie Bump Vena to learn more.Water Quality and Pathogen Testing Professional Development Workshop at Hudson River Park's River Project Wetlab on Thursday, August 11, 2022 from 9:30 AM – 3:30PM
Are you an educator interested in bring water quality curriculum into your classroom? RSVP here for a hands-on water quality testing workshop led by the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, located at Brooklyn College, and HRP River Project.More updates and events from Sarah Cameron Sunde’s 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea—
Head to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council on Governors Island for a panel discussion “With the Sea: Climate Art, Science, and Human Connections to Sea Level Rise” on Sunday, August 7, 2022 from 1:00 PM 2:00 PM. RSVP here.Two more week of free sunset kayaking at the Red Hook Boaters launch at Valentino Pier
Come by on Thursday evenings from 6-8PM until August 18 for sunset kayaking, or Saturday afternoons 1-4PM until September 18.Check out the latest CWQT map featuring past and present sample sites, alongside past data (link)
It’s a work in progress, and we would love your feedback!
Week 11: July 28
Central Park only recorded .02 inches of rainfall Wednesday night into Thursday morning, but other areas of NYC got upwards of .38 inches of rain. You can always check NYC’s Waterbody Advisories page to see how local rainfall has impacted your nearby waterways.
That rain certainly made an impact—many of our sample sites have enterococcus levels above the NYC Department of Health standards for swimmable water.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
artist Sarah Cameron Sunde kills two birds with one stone, taking a water quality sample at Hallets Cove while doing a test stand for her upcoming perfoamce ‘36.5 / A Durational performance with the Sea.’
Don’t worry YA’ll, SARAH’s wearing gloves!
Billion Oyster project Community Science Technician Cody Herrmann, Research Associate Technician Eliot Na, and intern Sommer Stevenson process East River, Newtown Creek, Gowanus, and Western Queens samples at the williamsburg water quality testing lab.
New Sampler Leona chin from Kissena Synergy taking on KIssena Lake this week. Look at that nice green water…
Sunset near Billion oyster projects williamsburg water quality testing lab by Agata poniatowski. Future site of Two tree’s river ring development.
NYC WATER NEWS:
City Releases ‘Band-Aid’ Plan for Coping With Heavy Rainfall (link)
NYC released the ‘Rainfall Ready NYC’ plan in early July, which identifies short-term solutions to heavy rainfall while the Department of Environmental Protection continues to map out a plan for more long-term fixes.Join 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, Kin to the Cove, and Remote Theater at Hallets Cove on Sunday, July 31 at 6PM for free food from local restaurants, followed by an artist talk from 36.5 artist Sarah Cameron Sunde (link)
Have you been to Hallets Cove in Astoria, Queens lately? There is a lot of activity happening along the beach leading up to Sarah’s performance on September 14— part of her global water project, 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, which aims to bring attention to water's impact on us in the climate crisis, sea level rise, and considering/deepening our relationship with the water around us. Stay up to date with related events by following @kintothecove on Instagram.North Brooklyn Parks Alliance: Rezoning The Waterfront Guided Tour on Sunday, July 31 at 3:30pm (link)
Led by NBK Parks new Outreach & Programming Coordinator Dylan Brown, this interactive guided tour covers the impact of the 2005 rezoning on Williamsburg & Greenpoint's waterfront and our local parks and open spaces. The two-mile tour traverses North Brooklyn's waterfront from the tip of Greenpoint to Domino Park.
Make your way to Yonkers on Saturday, August 6, 2022 from 12-3pm for Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) and Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club for the Blue Team’s Summer Riverfront Environmental Day (link)
Featured activities include free kayaking from 12:00-1:30pm provided by the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club. No experience is necessary. Instruction and safety equipment will be provided on site. CURB staff will offer seining for fish in the river from 1:30-3:00pm as part of the “Great Hudson River Fish Count” day. Seining is a method for catching fish that includes dragging a 30-foot long net through the river and hauling it in to see what you’ve caught. Waders are provided to keep you dry as you venture into the river, or if you choose you can stay on shore and observe the catch in a touch tank.
Week 10: July 22
Happy halfway! We have made it through 10 weeks of Enterococcus sampling — and we've got 10 more to go!
Central Park got hit with 3.12 inches of rain this week, falling primarily on Saturday and Monday, triggering CSOs throughout the Harbor. Seems like that sewage stuck around at many sites.
Did anyone else get their first alert from the DEP’s ‘Wait’ App this week?
NYC WATER NEWS:
Six shark attacks in Long Island in the past 3 weeks…but that’s a good thing! (link)
Some may say the uptick in bites is just juvenile sharks mistaking feet for fish! (link)Dead Dolphin Washes Up On Shore of Bushwick Inlet Park (link)
Click the link, you know you want to see the photos…Interested in Waterfront activities in NYC Parks? (link)
Find on-water and off-water activities taking place in NYC’s waterfront parks all in one place!Creekworthy: Unfiltered with Flux Factory, June 23, 2022 from 6:00-9:00PM at Hunters Point South (link)
Enjoy Jocelyn Beausire‘s “SLOW/DEEP a project in unbuilding” performance and hang out with folks from NYseaweed. Don’t forget to pick up a temporary tattoo depicting 2021 CWQT results from Newtown Creek.Views from the Watershed Bus Tours start in August! (link)
RSVP here for a bus tour that explores the landscape, history, and politics of the NYC water supply in the Catskills.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Lucky for this furry friend, seen taking a dip at valentino pier while BOP staff collected the Weekly sample, entro. numbers turned out very low. Photo by Robina Taliaferrow.
A new view of flushing creek! Due to construction on the northern blvd. bridge, Sampler rachel wu has been sampling at a new location, across the creek from previous years.
Loose legs around Bush Terminal Park. Photo by Eymund Diegel.
dan Cartwright back at it again for week two of sampling at hallets cove!
Not a sample site, but important waterfront access nonetheless. Cormorant Sighting at Fort Wadsworth, Gateway NPS in Staten Island by JAMES SCARCELLA.
boring geese for good measure in Sunset Park, Bush terminal park, lagoon side sampled by Eymund Diegel!
Week 9: July 15
We’re almost half way through the CWQT sampling season!
At this point in the 2021 season, Central Park had received 12.99 inches of rain. This year we have only had 5.85 inches of rainfall during the sampling season.
With more than 50% less rainfall in 2022 than 2021, have you noticed improvements in water quality at your favorite CWQT sites this year?
NYC WATER NEWS:
Celebrate NYC’s waterways on City of Water Day, this Saturday, July 16, 2022 (link)
Waterfront Alliance and the NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program are hosting their annual City of Water Day on July 16 with partners across the City. Find an event in your neighborhood using the map linked on their webpage.NYC Beach Water Quality from the NYC Department of Health (link)
The NYC Department of Health tests for enterococcus weekly at both public and private beaches throughout NYC. You can view their sites and results on the map here.
Various DEP Rain Barrel Giveaway with NYC City Council Members, NYS Senators, and NYS Assembly Members throughout the City
We have noticed a lot of rain barrel giveaways happening over the next few weeks as part of the ongoing NYC Department of Environmental Protection program. Check in with your local City Council member, State Senator, and State Assembly member to see if they are hosting a giveaway in your district. You can find out who represents you here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Big Hello and welcome to dan Cartwright on his first week of sampling, our new sampler at hallets cove in queens.
SHout out to our new BOP summer interns Sommer Stevenson, Julia Purrazzella, and Nicholas Ring for helping with our east river sampling run this week! Here they are pictured at the Bushwick inlet sampling location. Note the 2 eco-docks floating in the background.
Week 8: July 8
Less than an inch of rain fell in Central Park this week. High enterococcus levels remain in areas around Newtown Creek and Flushing Bay, but very low levels were found throughout our East River sites!
Here are all 24 samples processed at Billion Oyster Project’s water quality lab at the Williamsburg Field Station yesterday.
NYC WATER NEWS:
Join Billion Oyster Project on Governors Island — and in various locations across NY Harbor — next Saturday, July 16, in celebration of City of Water Day.
Music on the Half Shell (1-3pm in Nolan Park): Through classical, pop and folk music, five musicians will explore and enjoy the role that waterways play in our lives and imaginations — with several songs saluting the oyster. RSVP Here. Thank you to the Hudson River Foundation, the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program, and the Waterfront Alliance for supporting this event!
How much does a ride on NYC Ferry really cost? (link)
An audit by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander found that while individual commuters pay $2.75 per ride on the privately operated ferry system, the real cost per ride, subsidized by taxpayers, cost $12.88 per trip, higher than $8.59, which was previously reported by the De Blasio Administration.Supreme Court to hear NY-NJ waterfront tiff, likely in ’23 (link)
We’ll have to wait till next year to find out if New Jersey can withdraw from the bistate Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. The Commission was started in the 1950s during a time of rampant corruption around the ports— today reps from New Jersey say the overregulation of business is making hiring more difficult and limiting job growth. In March, the Courts sided with New York State, arguing NJ cannot withdraw from the contract. Today 90% of the activity in our joint port takes place in New Jersey.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Peter, a volunteer sampler with Newtown Creek Alliance photographs their cooler and tote while preparing to sample at the Waste Management site along the English Kills tributary.
Joanna Argudo, one of BOP’s SUmmer Research Assistant Technicians, collects a sample off the coast of n3rd St in Williamsburg, the future site of the river ring project.
Murky waters and surface scum photographed at kissena lake in Flushing this week!
Photo by Jie, sampling at Grand Ferry Park in Williamsburg. ANyone else use the string method to Drop their sample jar down into the water?
Week 7: July 1
A very dry week outside of .29 inches of rain on Wednesday. Of the 54 sample sites reported by Friday afternoon, only 16 sites have Enterococcus counts measuring above the New York City Department of Health acceptable levels for swimming. Enjoy the Harbor this weekend!
NYC WATER NEWS:
View the NYC Department of City Planning StoryMap Assessing New Yorkers' Access to NYC's Waterfront New York City Waterfront Public Access Study (link)
Released on May 20, 2022 the report and maps detail public access around NYC’s coast. The report found that 2.9 million New Yorkers living within .5 miles of the waterfront— of this total, 800,000 New Yorkers lack a waterfront public access to their local coastline.
Reminder: Today, July 1, 2022 - Last Day to Submit Comments on the Draft 2021 MS4 Annual Report (link)
You can send last thoughts and comments on the Draft 2021 MS4 Annual Report to MS4@dep.nyc.gov.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Big shout out to Billion Oyster project staff and INterns who took ferrys to sample 16 sites from land along the east river this week!!
Tanasia Swift, Billion Oyster project field station manager, processes samples in the williamsburg water testing lab.
Week 6: June 24
Happy summer solstice! Light rain totaled only 0.16 inches around Central Park this week, but 27 of our 63 reported sites are testing in the red! We have 19 sites with Enterococcus levels that are acceptable for swimming according to the New York City Department of Health, and 17 sites where you should proceed with caution if current levels persist.
Have a great first weekend of summer!
NYC WATER NEWS:
Download the NYC DEP Wait… App! (link)
The Wait.. App launched by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection will identify your local sewershed, and notify you when you should use less water to help protect NYC’s Harbor from combined sewage overflow.North Central Region Water Network Webinar: The power and perils of partnership: volunteer monitoring histories as complex spatial networks - Monday, June 27 (Register here)
Liam F. Bean, a Master’s Student at Montana State University, will discuss the life cycle and network development of three different volunteer water monitoring programs in the state of Montana. Liam will address how trust in volunteer data is formed and how data are used (or ignored) in the complex water governance processes in a headwaters state.Bushwick Inlet Summer Oyster Monitoring with Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park and our partners from the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse, Billion Oyster Project, and New York Harbor School, Saturday, June 25 from 1:30-3PM (Register here)
Meet our friends in Bushwick Inlet Park— enter at 86 Kent Ave., by the soccer field, and walk all the way back to the water.NOAA Seeks Comments on Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary - Public Comment Period Open until August 8 (link)
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries may designate the Hudson Canyon, approximately 100 miles southeast of New York City, as a new national marine sanctuary off the coast of New York and New Jersey. Hudson Canyon is the largest submarine canyon along the U.S. Atlantic coast, and is an ecological hotspot for a vast array of marine wildlife.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW: Only 1 photo this week :( Please send images to cherrmann@nyharbor.org.
Newtown Creek sampler Peter spotted a pair of goose eggs on an ecodock at the head of dutch kills
Week 5: June 17
A relatively dry week, with only 0.05 inches of rainfall falling between last Friday and this Wednesday, came to a close with 0.32 inches of rain on Thursday morning. That was right before many volunteers set out to collect their samples, so you’ll see a lot of red this week!
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Tucker, who samples newtown creek, came across an intense brown algae bloom at the apollo street sample site in greenpoint.
a belated photo from June 2 by long time sampler, Eymund Diegel— a Lost Sunset Park unicorn wishing water quality were better.
Brooklyn based Sampler Jie, and her furry friend MIKA, brave the riprap at Grand Ferry park near high tide.
Billion Oyster Project’s Summer Research Associate Technician, Karina Garcia (left), with our new Community Science Manager, Anna Weiss (right), out in the east river taking samples this thursday.
NYC WATER NEWS:
(Beyond) Swimming - Monday, June 20th, equinox “swimability” assessment + group open water swim at Brighton Beach (link)
Head to Brighton Beach on Monday, June 20th 9:30-11:30AM for an equinox “swimability” assessment and (optional) group open water swim hosted in collaboration with Works on Water, andrea haenggi, Nora Almeida, and Interference Archive. Two ReCreational encounters along the upper bay at Valentino Park and the lower bay at Brighton beach have informed a community generated assessment emerging from relational signs, ecological observations, stories and memories, and the histories of these shorelines. The assessment, guided by andrea haenggii and the more-than-human species who live at Brighton Beach, will take place on land and in shallow water. An optional group swim will immediately follow. All participants will receive a booklet designed by Aiesha Bennett with instructions for reading shorelines through embodied practices that can be applied to other waterways. *Rain date (or Combined Sewer Overflow event reschedule): Saturday, June 25th 9:30-11:30am
New York State marks 50 years since Hurricane Agnes hit the mid-Atlantic by encouraging you to learn about flood risk in your neighborhood (link)
Hurricane Agnes, which tore through the mid-Atlantic and northeast region in June 1972 was the most destructive tropical cyclone in American history at the time. To learn more about Agnes, visit the Silver Jackets Hurricane Agnes webpage.In drinking water news, EPA lowers standards for toxic PFAS in drinking water to virtually zero (link)
DEC’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications (link)
Visit NYHABS, DEC's harmful algal bloom notification map, to view locations of freshwater HABs in New York State that were reported in the past two weeks. You can report a suspected HAB using the NYHABS online reporting form. Report health concerns related to HABs to the Department of Health at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov, or contact your local health department.
Week 4: June 10
With 0.83 inches of rain on Thursday morning, you can probably guess the water quality vibes! High MPN across most of our sites this week means New Yorkers should be wary of engaging in waterfront activities this weekend.
Are you a sampler, lab tech, or avid explorer of the Harbor? We want photos of your weekly water quality routine and other Harbor oddities! Please share your images with Cody (cherrmann@nyharbor.org) to be included in our weekly round up.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
bop is continuing our partnership with researchers at CUNY john Jay for the second year. we have been collecting additional water samples in the east river for the analysis of pharmaceuticals in harbor water. YOu can find a 2021 data summary here.
Water sampling started up at 7 sites in north east queens this week with support from Guardians of Flushing bay and CUNY Queens College. Photo from the 28th avenue street end, aka big rock beach, along flushing bay in college point.
NYC WATER NEWS:
**Tonight** Join Flux Factory, Friday, June 10 from 8PM-11PM, at the Hunters Point South Kayak Launch for the opening of Creekworthy: Films, Puppetry & Tattoos (link)
Creekworthy is an event series taking place through the warm-weather months of 2022 on the Newtown Creek and in Hunters Point South Park. Creekworthy’s first installation, Friday June 10 from 8PM-11PM, will feature a selection of looped films related to this location, boat tours to U-Thant Island with on-boat puppet show, and temporary tattoos measuring the Creek’s filthiness.After 50 years of the Clean Water Act, is the Hudson “swimmable”? (link)
For about 15 years, Riverkeeper has assessed our progress toward meeting the “swimmable” goal by measuring water quality in the Hudson and its tributaries. The data is gathered by community scientists, by Riverkeeper in partnership with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and by dozens of academic and non-profit partners using similar methods. About 80% of samples taken from the Hudson meet Environmental Protection Agency criteria for safe recreation.Comment on the NYC DEP’s Draft 2021 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Annual Report
The Draft 2021 MS4 Annual Report is available for public comment until July 1, 2022! This report includes information on the Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) implementation from January 1 to December 31, 2021. Download the Draft 2021 MS4 Annual Report here and send comments to ms4@dep.nyc.gov.Undoing Trump, EPA to empower states and tribes to oppose pipelines (link)
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Thursday it would seek to return authority to states to oppose gas pipelines, coal terminals and other projects that pose a threat to lakes, rivers and streams — reversing a major Trump administration rule. Now, the EPA is seeking to restore states’ authority, making it easier for local officials, including Native American tribes, to scrutinize proposals to build many highways, hydroelectric dams, shopping malls, housing developments and even wineries and breweries.2 men to row in small boat across the Atlantic from New York City to Ireland (link)
Two men are about to do that starting on Friday. It's a journey that will last nearly two months and span more than 3,000 miles in the ocean...in a row boat.
Week 3: June 3
The results from Week 4 of water quality testing in New York Harbor are not good... to say the least.
The weather forecast looks lovely this weekend, but based on all the testing sites "in the red", you're going to want to delay plans to jump on a kayak or take a dip — especially near a CSO outfall.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to engage with our local waterfront at part of It's My Estuary Day.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Billion Oyster Project’s Summer 2022 Research Associate Technicians have started! Karina Garcia (left) and Joanna Argudo (right) are two of six interns who are trained and ready to process your samples.
Are you a water sampler? We’d love to see your photos! Send them to Agata for a chance to see them featured here in the coming weeks.
NYC WATER NEWS:
The New York – New Jersey Harbor Estuary is a dining hotspot during summer and autumn months for bottlenose dolphins!
The NYC nearshore bottle nose dolphins are returning! Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) are tracking these mammals across 6 sites by detecting their “clicks” that signal feeding time. This is done to see how they are using the urbanized NY waterways and how these mammals have adapted to the various stressors around their environment. Read more.
Week 2: May 27
Our second week of sampling brought great results with very light rainfall (0.40 inches) through the week. Though more rain to come may change the swimming situation this Memorial Day Weekend.
Week 1: May 20
Our first week of sampling was met with a full week of rain! With measurable rainfall every day this past week except Tuesday, and 0.73 inches falling early Thursday, sewage overflow events were to be expected, and these enterococcus results show nearly all sites above the swimmable levels put forth by the NYC Department of Health.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
On Wednesday we celebrated the kick-off of the 12th CWQT sampling season at the Domino Park Putting Green on North 1st St near the Billion Oyster Project Williamsburg FIeld Station!
THANK YOU TO OUR volunteers, partner labs, and Rob Buchanan — A fearless leader OF THE citizens’ Water Quality TESTING PROGRAM OVER the past decade.
Join our team of volunteers! we are still looking for a couple of samplers to collect water quality samples on Thursday mornings. Please reach out to Robina Taliaferrow, Director of Community Engagement AT BILLION OYSTER PROJECT, if YOU’RE interested.