58 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JULY 20, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Ridgewood Reservoir gains supporter in
push for federal wetland designation
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com
@A_GiudiceReport
Th e push to grant the Ridgewood
Reservoir federal recognition as a wetland
under the Freshwater Wetlands Act
got another supporter: Congresswoman
Nydia Velázquez.
On July 11, the Congresswoman wrote
a letter to Eileen Murphy, the director
of Congressional and Federal Aff airs
with the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC),
outlining her support of the reservoir
becoming designated as a wetland.
“Th e Ridgewood Reservoir is a local
environmental gem that we should protect
for future generations,” Velázquez
said in a statement. “Granting the reservoir
wetland status would mean that
legal environmental protections under
the Freshwater Wetlands Act would be
extended to the reservoir, aiding its preservation.”
In her letter, Velázquez noted the reservoir’s
history of serving the Queens and
Brooklyn communities as a water supply,
Photo caption: Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez wants to see the Ridgewood Reservoir receive federal Wetland Designation.
as well as an asset to Highland Park
by providing fl ood protection by holding
back water and slowing stormwater
runoff .
She also pointed out the Ridgewood
Reservoir’s importance to the ecological
environments created by the reservoir
and its three basins, and its use as an
educational tool for local schools and residents.
“We strongly believe the Ridgewood
Reservoir merits said wetland designation
Photo by Anthony Giudice/Ridgewood Times
with the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation for its
urban, engineering and environmental
signifi cance,” Velázquez wrote. “We
respectfully urge you to exercise your
authority and render this designation.”