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Bronx River Improvements Keep Flowing
Boardwalks and Floodplain Restoration in Area

By DANIELLE WHYTE

Last summer the Parks Department and the Bronx River Alliance laid out plans for adding boardwalks and restoring floodplains in the area of the river closest to Norwood and Bedford Park. A year later those plans are reality and an official ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for June 25.

Both projects were done in the Bronx River Forest, the area of the river located just behind French Charley Playground and the Allerton baseball fields.

A floodplain is the area around a river that absorbs excess water and helps maintain water levels. Floodplains also soak up nutrients that can be harmful to fish and plants in the river.

“We restored the connection between the river and the floodplain, which will allow the floodplain to function more naturally,” said Teresa Crimmens, environmental coordinator for the Bronx River Alliance. “We hoped to improve ecology function and access to the community.”

A cricket pitch that used to flood has also been removed and restored as a floodplain, and berms have been installed to stabilize riverbanks. Japanese Knotweed, a bamboo-like plant, which stubbornly grows along the riverbank and crowds native plants, have been removed, and many more native plants have been added.

“People in the neighborhood have noticed things going on, and the boardwalk and lights will make people feel more secure,” Crimmens said.

The boardwalks are only the beginning of plans for improved access to the river. There is planning afoot to create a bicycle path the length of the whole river, which starts at the Kensico Dam in Westchester and flows through the Bronx into Long Island Sound.

“We are coordinating with Westchester to make a bike path run along the whole river,” said Maggie Greenfield, the Greenway coordinator for the Bronx River Alliance.

More pedestrian pathways and informational signs along the river are also in the works. “We want to draw more people to explore the nature here in the Bronx,” Greenfield said.

That goal is already being achieved. On June 10 and 11, volunteers participated in Bronx River Bio Blitz, a 24-hour event that drew scientific experts and volunteer teams who identified and counted the animal and plant inhabitants of the river. The first group to explore found clams, leeches and crayfish in the river.

The river is indeed home to many species of plants and animals including muskrats, crayfish, a variety of birds, and oak and maple trees. The 23-mile-long river is often called the “true” river of New York City because it is the only fresh water river that flows through the city.

“I think it’s good they’re rebuilding the park and showing the natural habitat,” said Shawn Curry, a volunteer and member of Sustainable South Bronx (SSB), a group that worked with the Bronx River Alliance to organize the Bio Blitz. “And I came to learn about the wildlife and natural habitat here.”

Lonnell Richardson, also from SSB, agreed. “The improvements are an excellent idea for those not familiar with the Bronx River Forest to explore and appreciate our environment,” he said.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Bronx River Forest improvements is Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burke Avenue Bridge in the Bronx River Forest. Sonia Manzano, who plays Maria on “Sesame Street,” will perform, and other games and activities will take place to celebrate Family Day by the River.

For more information on this and other Bronx River events, visit www.bronxriver.org   or call (718) 430-4665.

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