Learning from the Reservation
LEARNING FROM THE RESERVATION
The
collection of information about the river is one area in which much
progress has been made, especially in 2004-05. In addition to the
Comprehensive Corridor Management Plan, which outlines data gathering
strategies, there are other previous studies and samplings compiled over
the last 30 years. The County Health Department for some time has also
been taking and analyzing water samples.
The Health Department continues to sample water quality in
specific locations from Valhalla to the New York City line. It
investigated illegal discharges in Yonkers and White Plains and
cooperated with the state Attorney General’s Office in their
investigation of unlawful discharges from Yonkers storm drains.
HDR Engineering, a consulting firm was hired to expand on the
characterization study and submitted a final report with specific
recommendations for remedial actions to improve water quality.
In October of 2004 an archaeological survey of the
reservation was initiated to generate more data on the remaining
historical structures.
The characterization study of the Bronx River by the Bronx
River Reservation curator was completed. Work on the tributaries, far
more challenging, has begun. In August of 2004, the County Board of
Legislators approved funding for an Army Corps of Engineers study of the
entire Bronx River basin area, which treats the Bronx River in
Westchester and New York City as a single entity.
