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1029 WEST JERICHO TURNPIKE, SMITHTOWN, L.I.
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, 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
The late-afternoon sun over the Ridgewood Reservoir in this
photo taken in January 2008. File Photo
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
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 birdwatchers
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.