On March 1st, SWIM Coalition, NYC Parks, and NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection participated in a panel discussion on clean water concerns for the Alley Pond estuary. The discussion was organized
by the Alley Pond Environmental Center and hosted by Queensborough Community College in Bayside, NY. At least 50 brave community members turned out on the night of our latest Bombogenesis to talk about CSO's and water quality in Alley Creek and Little Neck Bay! Clearly this community cares about their waterways.
In a typical year, nearly 132 million gallons of combined sewer overflows discharge into Alley Creek. Rather than capturing that overflow, the City is proposing chlorinating it to reduce pathogens. SWIM and other community members in the area have raised concerns about the proposed chlorination process. Here is a link to SWIM's Alley Creek Fact Sheet and our key concerns about the City's proposed water quality improvement plans for the Bay and Creek. And here is a link to a map chock full of useful information about the Alley Creek sewershed. SWIM shared the fact sheet and map at the symposium and NYC Parks shared copies of the Alley Creek Watershed Management Plan produced by the NYC Parks Wetlands & Riparian Restoration, Natural Resources Group in collaboration with the community.
The community posed a lot of questions about the use of Green Infrastructure for stormwater management and SWIM has asked why DEP isn't planning more GI for the area. There is potential for Green Infrastructure on private property in the area. SWIM presented some examples of small scale Green infrastructure projects in back yards during the symposium and shared the GI on Private Property Guidebook produced by NYC Soil and Water Conservation District.