2023 Community Water Quality Testing Results: Weekly Blog
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Week 20: September 29
Happy week 20— big thank you to our 50+ samplers and 11 partner labs for a great CWQT season! This year we sampled and reported results for 88 sites, more than ever before in CWQT history.
Anyone else notice we have had a lot of rainy weekends this year? If you are using CWQT data to plan upcoming recreational activities, please note this week’s data does not reflect bacteria levels after the 3-6+ inches of rainfall seen throughout NYC on Friday.
Save the date: the end of season CWQT gathering is scheduled for October 26, 2023 from 6:00-7:30PM at Billion Oyster Project’s Williamsburg Field Station, 266 Kent Ave. We hope to see you there!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Do NYC’s recent climate resilience plans go far enough? Check out this recent blog post by the Stormwater Infrastructure Matters (SWIM) Coalition covering details on AdaptNYC, PlanYC, and the City’s Green Infrastructure program.
London’s new $5.5 billion ‘super sewer’ is nearly complete. The new sewer is set to cut the number of combined sewage overflow events in the River Thames from 50 annually down to just a couple each year. Read up about the massive infrastructure project and how it was funded here.
Wasterwater at all 14 of NYC’s sewage treatment plants are monitored and tested to predict and track COVID19 outbreaks. Learn more about interpreting the data, and where to find it here.
New mapping tools and legislation related to flooding, extreme rainfall, and coastal resilience—
The NYC Department of City Planning released the ‘Building Elevation and Subgrade Data Set,’ said to be the most comprehensive data available on the elevations of NYC buildings and individual sites’ and neighborhoods’ risk of flooding. Read the press release here.
NY Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation to protect New Yorkers from flooding as storms become increasingly frequent and extreme. The new legislation requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to authorize and encourage the use of nature-based solutions to stabilize tidal shorelines, and requires sellers to inform home buyers if a property is located in a flood risk area or has previously flooded. Read the press release here.
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection recently launched the ‘Coastal Ecological Restoration and Adaptation Planning (CERAP) Tool’ which overlays the locations of at-risk coastal areas, restoration sites, and current projects to help stewards and institutions develop and collaborate on adaptation projects related to sea level rise and extreme weather. Find the map and more information here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Billion Oyster Project’s NYU Galletin intern Alex sampling at Bushwick Inlet— We love big gloves!
The Newtown Creek crew did another group sampling boat ride to celebrate the end of the CWQT season. Katya, photographed by Peter, with the Apollo St sample.
A note from Mary, Little neck Bay sampler— ‘Last day of water sampling. Moody, high tide. It's been fun collecting with y'all. Stay safe and well!’
Oh the irony— Marcos was unable to access pier 84 and complete his routine marine sciene due to the upcoming marine science festival! Luckily the Hudson River Park Trust team was able to access the site and process the sample. yay cwqt team!
Billion Oyster Project’s Lead Volunteer coordinator, inca, has been hosting weekly clean ups along coney isalnd creek, and filling in for long time sampler lee patrick at kaiser park. Sign up to volunteer at an upcoming clean up here.
One last view of the abandoned boat at big rock beach in college point for the season. Photo by Rachel from Guardians of flushing bay.
Week 19: September 22
It is the second to last week of the 2023 CWQT season! Together this year we have collected 1,363 samples— a total of 36 gallons of water, which is only half as much water as the average bathtub holds.
After 1.55 inches of rainfall in Central Park this week check out our results to see the water quality at your favorite sites in the Harbor. As rain is predicted tonight and through the weekend, enterococcus levels are sure to rise.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Don’t miss the bus— get your ticket for the 2023 NYC Soil & Water Conservation District NYC Green Infrastructure Bus Tour here!
Looking for more information criticisms on the US Army Corps NY & NJ Harbor & Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study (HATS) plan? Check out this article from the Guardian titled ‘Property over people? New York City’s $52bn plan to save itself from the sea.’
As we slip further into hurricane season with it’s associated threats of flooding and extreme rainfall, are those living in basement apartments any safer than they were two years ago during Hurricane Ida? Read more on Gothamist.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
To celebrate nearing the end of the CWQT season Gus, Kristina, and Mira from the Newtown Creek crew sampled together by boat this week! Seen here is Kristina grabbing her 2nd St Kayak Launch sample at the mouth of the Creek, and Mira collecting from the East Branch from further back in the channel— check out the difference in water color.
Billion Oyster Project staff did our East River sampling run with the team from Lendlease this week, collecting water from Bushwick Inlet, Dumbo Cove, and Pier 101 at Governors Island off the back of one of our workboats. Thanks to everyone who enthusiastically put on our long gloves!
Jie and Mika take a walk to sample at Grand Ferry park in Williamsburg.
Newtown Creek views from Dutch Kills in Long Island CIty— sampled by Gina and Gus.
Week 18: September 15
With 3.80 inches of rainfall recorded in Central Park this week, it is the wettest week of the water sampling season so far! However, about 37% of reporting site are safe for primary contact, only down about 1.5% from last week, when Central Park received 0 inches of rainfall.
Be sure to celebrate Climate Week— check out all the great events throughout the City from September 17 to 24, 2023.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
This week the New York City Council passed a set of legislation to improve water safety and decrease drowning rates across the City by mandating free swimming lessons for all 2nd graders, introducing a new recording system for lifeguards and trainings, and funding research to find new locations for public swimming pools. Hear more about the bills on Pix11.
Paddling, poems, plays, music jams, and more— so many events being hosted by the Gowanus Dredgers this week. Check out their events calendar.
Guardians of Flushing Bay is hosting SaturBay on September 23, 2023 from 12-4PM— RSVP here for all the free events including kayaking, dragon boating, a 5k run along the Bay, a walking tour, food, music, and more.
Join the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program for a webinar titled ‘Calculating the Economic Value of Clean Water in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary’ on Thursday, September 21 from 3-5PM. Learn more about the report here, and RSVP for the webinar here.
Join Waterfront Alliance for a webinar titled ‘An Island Without Water – Understanding the Inequities to Accessing the Waterfront’ on Friday, September 22, from 12-1PM. RSVP here.
Join Urban Land Institute for a webinar titled ‘Receiving Community: Building Inclusive Places to Mitigate Climate Gentrification-Driven Displacement’ on Friday, September 22, from 12-1PM. RSVP here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
NYU interns, Alex and Kat, enjoy their first day sampling the East River with the Billion Oyster Project (BOP) team. From left to right: Alex samples at Grand Ferry Park; the BOP team poses on the edge of Domino Park; and Kat takes in the sights at Bushwick Inlet with our eco-docks floating ahead.
The St. Francis College STEM Researchers team collects and processes samples in the lab from Pier 2 and Pier 4 along the East River in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Gowanus Sponge Park sampler Benjamin notes “lots of friends today at the Sponge Park— enjoying the water like we should someday.”
Fish ID— do we think those are Silversides?
Week 17: September 8
Though Central Park received trace amounts of measurable rainfall this week, only about 40% of our reporting sites tested safe for primary contact. With a forecast of rain predicted from Friday afternoon through Monday, our reported enterococcus values are sure to change due to combined sewage overflow.
Check back next week to see how this weekend’s rainfall will impact water quality!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
On August 13 2023, Lewis Pugh began his 315-mile (507-km) swim down the Hudson River— Pugh is set to swim through New York City on on 9/12 and 9/13. Will this weekend’s rainfall impact the endurance swimmers schedule? Learn more and look out for updates here.
Celebrate the International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 16! More information and cleanup locations here.
New York City’s 625-foot-long ‘temporary’ floating jail, an extension of the Rikers Island detention facility, is set to close next month after 31 years.
Researchers looking at the impact of human recreation on freshwater streams in Colorado found elevated levels of pharmaceuticals, sunscreens, and other compounds associated with humans during high traffic weekends. Read more about what they found and how it got there here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Sample jars and hands! (from left to right) Views by Gina and Greg at Dutch Kills along Newtown Creek; Erica at Dumbo Cove along the East River; Leona and Peye from Kissena Synergy at Kissena Lake in Queens; and Kristina at the Hunters Point South Kayak Launch in Queens along Newtown Creek.
St. Francis College STEM Student Researchers sampling at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park along the east river. They collect their sample from the water using a bucket and line.
The first sample of September at English Kills along Newtown Creek in Brooklyn was giving fall vibes! Leaves are turning yellow on the resident cottonwood tree, while morning glory vines bloom nearby. Photos by Peter.
Week 16: September 1
Looking to get in the water this holiday weekend?
After 1.23 inches of rain this week in Central Park, about 45% of our reporting CWQT samples are unsafe for primary contact.
Check out the results below to see how your favorite sites are measuring up this week.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Missed our virtual CWQT Lunch & Learn earlier this month? Watch the recording here.
In compliance with the United States Supreme Court ruling earlier this summer, this week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially announced new rules that drop wetland protections in areas throughout the country. Experts advise this will lead to an increase in building and development permits in previously protected areas, while States and tribal governments will be responsible for creating new laws and mandates related to wetland protection. Listen here on NPR.
Artist Open Call: ‘Creating in Nature.’ Artist Yvonne Shortt is looking for 4 artists based in NYC to create work using materials found in nature. The work should be created outdoors and be able to be taken apart after created or blow away over time. Apply here.
New COVID variant found in NYC sewage— read more on Gothamist.
Join Genspace for ‘Play, Write, Create: A Science Communication Lab’ on Sept. 24, 2023. This workshop is for anyone who wants to experiment with new ways to communicate science in ways that inspire wonder, clarity, and interest. RSVP and find more Genspace classes here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Shout out to the Newtown Creek sampler crew! Views from all 6 of our Newtown Creek sites from left to right— Mira samples the East Branch; Peter shows off the English Kills sample; Gus captures the Apollo St sample and the floating boom; new samplers Gina and Greg work together at Dutch Kills; and Kristina makes the trip over the bridge from Brooklyn to Queens to sample under the Pulaski and at the 2nd St kayak launch in Hunters Point.
Berh enjoying the waterfront as Fay samples N3rd Street along the east river this week
Company at Kissena Lake! Leona and Peye of kissena synergy were not the only ones leaning over the lakes ledge today, however we dont know what this person was looking for.
Billion Oyster Project Community Engagement Director, Robina, and Public Outreach Manager, Agata, delivering samples by boat to the williamsburg lab near domino park
Newtown Creek Alliance’s Gus Perry shows off some of their wetland frames during lowtide. these planters hold spartina sea grass along hard metal bulkhead, and rise and fall with the tides in newtown creek.
Week 15: August 25
The 2023 Community Water Quality Testing season is 75% complete! Thank you to our 40+ community scientists, 15+ partner organizations, and 11 labs who make this work possible.
Similar to last week, much of this weeks measurable rainfall fell on Friday 8/25, after our samples were taken on 8/24. Please take Friday’s rain into consideration when viewing the weeks results.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Join NYC Parks for a free Citizen Science Fishing Clinic on Sunday, August 27, 2023 from 10AM to 1PM at Brooklyn Bridge Park. See more information here.
After being approved by New York voters last year, New York State is encouraging NYers to learn about more about the Environmental Bond Act and suggest potential projects to be incorporated into the $4.2 billion investment. View recorded listening sessions here, and submit ideas through this form before September 15.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is creating a regional communication strategy to support communities during the Superfund cleanup of the 17-mile stretch of the Passaic River and wants your input and involvement. Join the public meeting on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at Essex County Newark Tech, 91 West Market St, Newark, NJ 07103 with a 5PM meet and greet, and full workshop at 6PM. RSVP here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Rachel from guardians of flushing bay snapped this pic of a dead blue crab along the flushing creek shoreline— 100ml sampling bottle for scale.
Team effort— Mary, Chris, and Bowie collecting little neck bay this week. Mary suggests keeping a small spray or mist bottle with a mix of equal parts water and dawn Dish soap to keep the spotted lanter flys at bay.
Weekly Newtown Creek triptych from the 2nd Street Kayak Launch in Hunters Point, Queens. Kristina samples into the riprap surrounded by geese and bladderwrack. Though we do not recommend swimming in Newtown Creek, this week’s sample came back safe for primary contact, at 10 MPN.
Week 14: August 18
After 2.81 inches of rain in Central Park this week over 50% of sites reported unswimmable level of enterococcus this week. This weeks results, combined with heavy rainfall Friday morning (one day after our samples were taken), means folks should exercise caution before engaging in primary contact with the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary this weekend.
See how your favorite sites faired below!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Coney Island Creek Care and Cyanotype Workshop Saturday, August 26 from 10AM to 1PM
Clean the beach and make art at Coney Island Creek with Coney Island Beautification Project and artists Nora Almeida, iki nakagawa, Willa Goettling. Participants will clean the creek shoreline with support from NYC Parks Stewards, learning about the creek habitat and the way garbage travels through our waterways, and using found materials to make cyanotypes–a form of alternative photography that uses the sunlight. RSVP here.Governor Hochul Signs Bill to Protect the Hudson River From Indian Point Decommissioning Wastewater. Read more here.
Why have so many dead whales have washed ashore along the New Jersey, New York coasts in 2023? Read the report from ABC7 here.
Nearly 2 years after Ida, NJ families deemed high risk for flooding are no longer eligible for federal aid. Read more on Gothamist.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Another Newtown Creek triptych from Peter. From left to right— traffic cone sampling support at English Kills; have you seen the Waste Management vertical marigold garden at English Kills?; East Branch: view of the Grand St bridge from the sampling site.
Low-tide Egrets at Little Neck Bay from Mary.
Peye from Kissena Synergy always staying clean while sampling Kissena Lake
Kristina Shares her sampling set up at newtown creek under the pulaski bridge
Week 13: August 11
With 1.12” of rain on Monday, 42% of sites reported swimmable water this week; however many sites that are normally pretty “clean” reported high levels of Enterococcus.
Keep in mind that it rained heavily on Thursday after most samples were taken, too. Because of the CSO problem, rain can impact bacteria levels in the water, so our results may not be current.
Check out the Harbor wide results below!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Curious about 2023’s CWQT results so far? Join Billion Oyster Project for a Lunch’n’Learn on August 18 at noon to learn more about this season’s data. Register here.
Submit your artwork to an exhibit about greenwashing. Learn more here.
Join the DEP at a virtual workshop on the Green Infrastructure Grant Program on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Register here.
Learn more about the recent Gowanus fish kill and check out a cameo by the Billion Oyster Project CWQT crew in this clip from CBS news.
(L) Flushing Creek, (M) MacNiel Park, and (R) Big Rock Beach by Rachel of Guardians of Flushing Bay
Leona and Peye of Kissena Synergy at Kissena Lake
Sampling Pulaski (R, RM) and 2nd Street Kayak Launch (LM, L) with Kristina from Newtown Creek Alliance
(L) The BOP Team spotted this fancy plane in the Brooklyn Navy Yard while taking East River samples by boat this week. Anyone else recognize it? Photo by Crew Member Agata (M) Check out the Throgs Neck? in the background at Little Neck Bay, from Mary (R) English Kills, sampled by Peter with Newtown Creek Alliance
Week 12: August 4
Happy National Water Quality Month! We hope you are appreciating your drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and local waterways extra hard.
Though Central Park received just .06 inches of measurable rainfall this week, only 26% of our reporting sample sites came back with ‘swimmable’ levels of Enterococcus.
Check out the Harbor wide results below!
SLC CURB Blue Team Extravaganza!
Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River welcomes you to join us for our Blue Team Environmental Extravaganza happening next Saturday August 5th from 12p-3p at SLC CURB! The CURB Blue Team is a 6 week paid internship opportunity offered to Yonkers public school students who have previously participated in our weeklong Winter Water Academy learning intensive. Students conduct research on river pollution issues such as enterococcus bacteria, explore different scientific lab processes and plan a community event scheduled for Saturday August 5th. Please save the date and join us in supporting these amazing students!
Call for artists!
Waves: An entanglement of Art and Science will be an exhibit where the primary goal is to educate, reinforce, and remind the public of the current state of our water as well as to emphasize hope, reinvigorate passions, and inspire actionable change for our futures using a combination of scientific information and artistic representation.
The location is Southampton, NY, USA and artists in the New York and Long Island are are invited to submit pieces related to the ocean especially around themes of environmental issues.
For questions or submissions email megladds@gmail.com. Deadline is August 31st 2023.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Join Billion Oyster Projects’s Research Associate Technician Joanna Argudo for 36 hours with CWQT!
Hello fellow samplers and citizens who care about water quality! My name is Joanna Argudo and I’m the Research Associate Technician (RAT) Intern for the Community Science Team this summer at the Billion Oyster Project (BOP). I am a Harbor School alumni from the Professional Diving Program and recent graduate of the University of Rochester where I majored in Environmental Studies with minors in Studio Art and History. This is my second summer as a BOP intern and I am very happy to be back and out in the field! As an intern for the community science team like some of you, every Thursday I go out and collect water samples from a couple different sites (Valentino Pier, Pier 101, Bushwick Inlet) except my journey is a little different.
I wake up at around 6:30am to get ready for the day making sure I don't forget anything before I am fully functional. I have my cooler ready with the essentials and I'm off to the L train. As I wait for the train I hope it is not fully packed so I can make it on time to catch my first boat of the day: the 8:30am Governors Island ferry. Once I make it on the ferry to the island, I walk to Pier 101 where I collect my first sample and wait for my second boat ride of the day on Attractive Nuisance (AN). This boat takes me to the other sample sites where I collect the water from on the boat making sure I don't fall in. I hope that my cap stays on and doesn't fly off AGAIN, becoming wet or worse, getting lost at sea as we start driving off to the next site. After this adventure AN very nicely drops me off on the side of a ferry stop with a sturdy metal ladder that I climb up to be left closer to the lab. Then the most dreaded part of the day, the ~20 minute walk in the summer heat to the Williamsburg Field Station Lab to deliver the 3 samples. Once at the lab I take a break and wait for everyone to deliver their samples before we can start processing them for the day. After that's done I can leave to return on Friday after 24 hours of letting the samples incubate. I read the samples and post them on the spreadsheet. I repeat this process again the following week.
This is my last week sampling as an intern for the summer so I wanted to say thanks to everyone for their help this year collecting samples! It has made it easier for me as an intern this summer to not have to collect more samples in the heat. I have had another great summer here at the Billion Oyster Project and hope to continue doing work in the environmental field.
Hope everyone has a delightful summer and remember to put your icepack in the freezer !
Best of luck to everyone,
Joanna Argudo ‘2023 RAT
Billion oYster Project Interns Brenda, Joanna, and Sommer on their last water quality ride together of the season!
Ben samples the Gowanus Sponge Park in his Gowanus swim team tshirt!
Abandoned Boat Sagas from John at Gravesend Bay: The rogue vessel has migrated with the tides to block the ramp down. We’ll be back next week with more on this developing story.
Our new sampler Sam is SO happy to be engaged in this work along the Staten Island North Shore Esplanade! Learn more about our new Staten Island crew here.
Week 11: July 28
This week interns from Urban Assembly New York Harbor School took over the weekly CWQT blog! Join Sommer Stevenson and Brenda Genaro as they navigate through the water quality testing world. Sommer (right) and Brenda (left) are pictured here with @behrwu, our North 3rd St sampler along the East River.
New this week— we’ve added functions at the bottom of the ‘All Sites’ spreadsheet to tell you the percentage of swimmable, moderate, and unsafe results reported each week. This week we also picked up a new sampling site in Staten Island along the North Shore Esplanade!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Rain can influence more than just water quality. Learn how the recent heavy rains have been impacting NYC’s most common street tree— watch this Instagram reel from NYC Parks.
Happy Shark Week!
Shark bites are of course frightening but they actually come with a bit of good news. Rise in shark sightings (and bites) typically indicates that the marine habitat is full of fish, ie.shark food! More fish in general usually correlates to a healthy ecosystem overall. Read more here
Swimming near the ocean this summer? You’d be surprised to know how close a shark can be near you without you noticing. But don’t be alarmed, a shark attack is rare; its 1 in 4,332,817 chance. Which is rarer than being struck by lightning; 1 in 79,746. Read more here
CWQT partner lab St. Francis College is hosting a STEM Academy for high school students starting on Monday, July 31st through August 3rd. The free program has two separate tracks, one with a science focus and one with a math focus. The Science track highlights the importance of biodiversity in the ecosystem and raises an awareness of climate change, in addition to field trips to the New York Aquarium and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Math track focuses on the importance of math skills in various STEM fields, data analysis in excel, and includes a trip to the MoMath Museum. The high school students also connect with SFC STEM faculty and college student mentors throughout the 4-day program. For more information about SFC's STEM Resource Center, please contact stem@sfc.edu
Join the River Network for a learning session titled ‘Combined Sewer Overflows and Clean Water Goals: Recommendations from the Government Accountability Office to Track and Accelerate Progress’ on August 2 from 1-2PM. RSVP here.
Rain barrel giveaway in Queens on August 5. Learn more.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
(from left to right) John captured a very low tide in the Gravesend Bay yesterday; Before the mud: Quite a poor choice of footwear; This is new! Someone ran their boat aground. Wasn’t here last Thursday; A confirmation of my poor choices. Mud even found its way onto my shorts. Needless to say, these sneakers have a date with dish soap and an old toothbrush later.
Gus from Newtown Creek Alliance completes a 5 samples run along Newtown Creek at the 2nd st kayak launch in hunters point. he Safely delivered them to the williamsburg field station lab where they were processed by billion oyster project Brenda and Sommer.
Dumbo cove money Shot. a usually clean site along the east river. Sampled and photographed by erica.
Peye from Kissena Synergy making great efforts to collect a sample at Kissena Lake in Flushing, Queens. laying down on a towel is just one of the quirky things our samplers do to collect samples.
Breakfast Buffet at Flushing Creek! Picture captured by Guardians of Flushing Bay’s Rachel Wu. Yes, to secure the sample she did disrupt breakfast by waving her arms and making loud noises to scare the geese away.
Week 10: July 21
Happy halfway! We are officially at the midway point of the 2023 CWQT season. Central Park received 2.06 inches of rain this week, more than any week this season, which left many of our sample sites unsafe for primary contact.
In new labs and sample site news— after a hiatus in 2022 we are excited to have the St. Francis College lab come back onboard last week, and thrilled to be receiving Gantry State Park samples at Billion Oyster Project’s lab thanks to HaborLAB volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who has participated this season. Together we have collected over 600 data points!
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
In an ode to water quality and remediation, endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh will swim the full 315 mile length of the Hudson River, from the Adirondack Mountains to Battery Park in Manhattan with a start date in mid-august. Pugh notes he has only ever done 4 river swims before— during 3 of them he fell sick due to bacteria in the water. Read more here.
Happy 25th Birthday to Hudson River Park! Read more about how the park got started here.
Despite numerous flooding reports during this week’s flash flood events, Gowanus’ newly completed $54 million storm sewer renovation should reduce street flooding. Read more about the project via Brooklyn Eagle.
With flash floods on our mind— this week in Flushing, Queens Council Member Sandra Ung pressed Mayor Eric Adams for updates regarding local flooding mitigation, while funding has been allocated to explore the possibilities of a managed retreat around historic Kissena Creek. Read more via Gothamist.
Missed the whale breach under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge? Watch the footage here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, St. Francis College was awarded a US Department of Education, STEM Success & Articulation grant, which has funded the STEM Resource Center’s student-faculty research projects for Hispanic and low-income students. Pictured here are Gabrielle Medor (left) and Ashley Ali (right) who are using IDEXX Enterolert to test the water quality at Pier 2 and 4 of Brooklyn Bridge Park. These students, along with Dorothee Rene, will continue to work with Noemi Rivera, the Director of the STEM Resource Center, and present their data at an upcoming conference later in the Fall.
(from left to right) Hugh Carola of Hackensack Riverkeeper sent in photos of his coworker Tyler Tierney wading into the water at Rutkowski Park beach in Bayonne; the Hackensack River Laurel Hill Park sample in Secaucus; and Jodi, a Hackensack Riverkeeper summer intern, with Bill, one of their top volunteers.
Newtown Creek diptych: (from left to right): Gus and Mira team up to sample Newtown Creek at the Grand St bridge, check out that brown film on the water below; and Kristina samples the 2nd St Kayak launch in Hunters Point, look out for all that goose poop on the cement path!
English Kills triptych: Peter shows off this week’s English Kills sample, Newtown Creek Alliance’s floating eco-docks growing spartina seagrass, and some nicely composed found objects on a cement block.
From our CWQT friends in North East Queens (from left to right): Mary and Bowie hang out at the Bayside Marina while sampling Little Neck Bay; and a quintessential ‘airplane take off’ picture of Flushing Creek from Guardians of Flushing Bay’s Stewardship Coordinator Rachel.
Week 9: July 14
About 1 inch of rainfall in Central Park early this week left half of our reporting sites safe for swimming and primary contact. Check out the results to see how your favorite sites around the Harbor measured in week 9 of the 2023 Community Water Quality Season.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
A water quality advisory was issues earlier this week for the Hudson River from Peekskill to Yonkers due to a break in a 30 inch pipe at the Tarrytown Sewer Pump Station. Partially treated sewage was being routed into the Hudson from Monday to Wednesday while repairs were made. The advisory was lifted on Thursday. Read more here.
Looking for a run down of last years beach closures? A write up on public beach advisories nationwide was published on Environment America and summarized in the NY Post this week.
Reminder— Saturday, July 15 is City of Water Day! Explore all the events happening throughout the Harbor here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
The crew from the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership samples for pathogens and more at Rutgers Boathouse in New Brunswick.
Harborlab intern michelle and Cody from Billion Oyster Project sample north 3rd st in williamsburg
The Hackensack River sites from left to right— , Ridgefield Park, River Barge Park, Laurel Hill Park, Rutkowski Park, and Bayonne City Park
Bowie and mary out on a sunny Thursday sampling little neck bay in bayside, queens
More birds! Geese enjoying newtown creek at the 2nd St boat launch in hunters point photographed by Kristina
Billion Oyster Project interns Brenda and Joanna sample valentino pier by boat this week
This Spotted lantern fly nymph ‘spotted’ by leona of kissena synergy nearby kissena lake
So many birds this week. This photos with a swan in the distance from colleen at meadow lake
DUmbo cove photographed by eric with the brooklyn bridge and lower manhattan skyline in the background
WEEK 8: JULY 7
Central Park received a total of 1.66 inches of rain this week, more than any other week in the 2023 CWQT season! Though no rain was recorded on Wednesday or Thursday, many of our reporting sample sites have elevated levels of Enterococcus above the NYC Department of Health standards for swimmable water this week.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Beach 108th in Rockaway was rebuilt with over 11,000 sq feet of porous pavers and 140 feet of new storm sewers. Read more about the project on the City’s website here, or on Gothamist.
Waterfront Alliance City of Water Day is coming up on Saturday, July 15. Explore all the events happening throughout the Harbor here.
**Cool CWQT sampler alert** Check out Coney Island Creek sampler, Lee Patrick’s thesis on ‘Promoting Restoration and Stewardship along the Coney Island Creek’ here.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
See those bubbles in the back of the grand street bridge / east branch, newtown creek sample? Those are from aerators meant to elevate levels of dissolved oxygen in the creek. read more here.
members of Billion Oyster Project’s Community Science team, joanna and zeke, out sampling bushwick inlet by boat this week
views from apollo street along newtown creek featuring a floating boom and the kosciuszko bridge from Gus at newtown creek alliance
While sampling the gowanus canal sponge park, ben noticed a barge pouring sand into the waterway to cap the sediment as part of the superfund clean up
Mary shares an extremely low tide at the bayside marina in little neck bay thursday morning
New sampler Miranda pictured here along the east river. notice all the floatables and debris in the water? likely why many east river sites had slightly elevated bacteria counts this week.
Week 7: June 30
With smoky skies and a little bit of rain (a total of ~0.7 in.), we saw some sites with raised levels of Enterococcus this week, especially in Newtown Creek, Flushing Bay, and the Hackensack and Rahway Rivers.
Little Neck Bay, High tide. Eerily calm! Pic By Sampler MAry
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Billion oyster project’s New Community stewardship coordinator, Zeke King Phillips, Collects a sample from the east river at grand ferry.
Sampling and a turtle crossing the road to lay eggs at Kissena Lake. By sampler Leona
Samples from Newtown Creek, taken by Kristina. Kristina is in the photo to the furthest right, taken by Willis from Newtown Creek Alliance. Willis is shown in the NCA boat this week with folks from the NYC Department of Transportation; photo taken by Kristina.
John Jay College Samplers on Pier 84
Week 6: June 23
Happy Friday! Did you know this season the CWQT program is covering up to 87 sites each week? That’s 11 more than any season before. Together samplers gather a total of up to 2.3 gallons of water every Thursday morning.
John Jay College students collects samples along the Hudson River at Pier 99 with two wiffle balls, what looks like a PVC pipe, and some rope. Very crafty!
Gus from Newtown Creek Alliance samples Apollo St!
Private homes and abandoned boats along the college point shoreline at big rock beach. sampled by Alexis.
Peter samples English Kills with a bucket and line. Thumbs up peter!
Have you seen the plans for the Special Flushing Waterfront District? the rezoning, pictured above, was approved in 2020 and allows a minimum of 13 towers to be built along the Flushing Creek shoreline. Photographed by Rachel from Guardians of Flushing bay.
Week 5: June 16
Central Park received about .45 inches of rain this week, leaving many of the smaller tributaries and inlets around the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary, such as the Bronx River, Newtown Creek, and Hackensack River with elevated enterococcus levels this week.
June 20, 2023 is the final day to submit comments on the Department of Environmental Protection (DEC) Proposed Amendments to Water Quality Criteria for Primary and Secondary Contact Recreation in NYS Saline Waters. Click here to read about what the proposed changes mean for recreation in the Harbor and how you can submit comments on the SWIM Coalition’s blog.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Mary, sampling the Bayside Marina at Little nEck Bay in queens, shows off her sample kit using the strong and bottle method.
The flushing creek sampling in its natural habitat, photographed by guardians of flushing bay’s stewardship coordinator, rachel.
Erica samples Dumbo Cove along the east river in her cwqt tshirt! We can see why this site is also called pebble beach.
Marcos spotted a large ship at pier 84 this week. You Never know what you’ll see.
Over the edge at the Pulaski Bridge on the queens side of newtown creek, sampled by kristina.
More from the Pulaski Bridge, sampled by Kristina.
Week 4: June 9
Due to poor air quality, most labs did not accept samples this week. Check out the results for those that did process samples below.
Week 3: June 2
Another rainless week! Central Park totaled only 1.28 inches of rain this May, about 68% less rainfall than the ‘normal’ rate of 3.96 inches reported by NOAA.
With little rainfall, our first 3 weeks of results have brough us mostly swimmable results, even in places known to have chronic sewage pollution such as Newtown Creek. Check out the results for all 82 of our 2023 CWQT sites below.
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Still trying to make sense of the NYS DEC Proposes Amended Water Quality Standards for Saline Waters?
Check out Riverkeeper’s latest blog post where they ask the question “Will NYC waters ever be made consistently safe for swimming?” Make your voice heard— send a comment letter to the DEC Commissioner using this template from Riverkeeper.New York City beaches opened for the 2023 season this past weekend!
You can check the water quality of each of NYC’s 25 beaches by using the NYC Dept. of Health beach water quality map here. Read more about last seasons beach closures and water quality via City Limits.Is COVID back in NYC? Wastewater surveillance shows virus is rising
Read more on GothamistThe Supreme Court has narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act
Learn more via NPR, and for a ‘Pre-History of Sackett vs EPA’ check out this podcast from Bionic Planet.NYC just released the 2022 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) report alongside an updated Storm Water Management Program
The MS4 plan is open for public comment through July 13, 2023, with the MS4 Annual Report Public Meeting will be held on June 13, 2023 from 4–6 pm. Register Here. For more information visit nyc.gov/dep/ms4.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Have you ever read these CSO signs? This one at India St. along the east river notes the outfall extends 1000 feet into the river!
Mica, photographed by Jie, enjoying the views at Grand Ferry Park in Williamsburg.
8AM, tides rising, at Little Neck Bay’s Bayside Marina, photogrpahed by Mary
Views of the manhattan bridge from Dumbo Cove aka pebble beach by sampler erica.
Big Rock beach sampled by Alexis in College Point. Yes, that is the aforementioned big rock peaking up from the water.
Ducks, algae, and Turtles at kissena lake this week, however entero results were low. The grates in the background of this photo mark where kissena creek continues its journey from the lake into NYC’s Combined sewage system.
This picture was taken in queens with views of greenpoint and manhattan. Looks like bladderwrack has taken over the 2nd street Newtown Creek kayak launch in long island city. Photo by Kristina.
Week 2: May 26
This May, Central Park has received about 60% less rainfall than normal, with a total of only 1.28 inches of rain compared to “normal” total of 3.13 inches reported by NOAA.
After Saturday’s big storm totaling .77 inches of rain, how did your favorites sites around the Harbor fare this week? See the results below.
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
The Dog days of the cwqt season are upon us— Jie and Mica dropping off their grand ferry park sample at billion oyster projets lab.
Joanna, one of billion oyster projects research associate technicians, samples off the boat at valentino pier.
We love to see your samples on ice. apollo st along newtown creek sampled by newtown creek alliances Seasonal Greenspace Steward, Gus.
jose, our brooklyn bridge beach sampler in manhattan shares a view of the new steps down on to the beach nearby the finger pier. hopefully construction will finish later this year.
Billion Oyster Project’s Community science technician, cody, ran into guardians of flushing bay’s stewardship coordinator rachel taking their flushing creek sample this week.
fay with her pup Behr at our north 3rd sample site along the east river, the future site of two tree’s river ring project.
a Wavey meadow lake in queens’ flushing meadows corona park by colleen
long time sampler Marcos getting down and dirty on the dock at pier 96. looking like he’s toasting the hudson river! photographed by dawn.
Great views of the hudson river at the 17oth street sample site by Adam, the Field Research & Partnerships Coordinator at the Riverside Park Conservancy.
another sample on the queens side of the pulaski brudge by newtown creek alliances Seasonal Greenspace Steward, Gus.
Week 1: May 19
Welcome to the 2023 Community Water Quality Testing season! We're excited to share the results of Enterococcus testing as well as photos from samplers and lab partners with you each week. These results come from 10 labs in five boroughs from samples taken by dozens of community members across NY and NJ. It's truly a team effort to make this project work!
If you ever have questions about the results, please feel free to contact us at waterquality@billionoysterproject.org.
Happy sampling!
Anna Weiss, Billion Oyster Project Community Science Program Manager
NYC WATER NEWS + EVENTS:
Update on the NYS DEC Proposes Amended Water Quality Standards for Saline Waters
The NYS DEC announced phase two of their Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making in April 2023 including proposed amendments to New York’s water quality standard regulations in Title 6 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) Parts 701 and 703. The proposed standards include more stringent levels of fecal indicator bacteria for the State’s saline waters. The proposed standards apply to Class SA, SB, SC, and I waters in and around New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley. More information on the proposed water quality standards can be found at here.
NYSDEC will hold two public hearing on the proposed rule making on June 13, 2023 (in-person , NYSDEC Region 2 office) and June 15, 2023 (online/virtual). Public comments on the rule will close at 11:59 PM on June 20, 2023. More details on the hearings and comment process can be found here.Check out NYC DEP’s new ‘Drippy's Water Adventure’ Coloring Book (link)
Join Drippy and friends for a fun-filled adventure exploring New York City’s water story, from mountain top to sea! Drippy’s Water Adventure offers students, and adults alike, an interactive coloring book full of activities and vocabulary highlighting NYC’s extensive water and wastewater infrastructure. Request copies for your 3-6th grade students here.Come and Enjoy NYC’s Waterfront: City Planning, Artists, and Advocates Invite You to Help Celebrate New York City’s 520 Miles of Waterfront this Saturday, May 20th (link)
Science Barge Season Opening on Saturday, June 3rd from 12pm-5pm at 99 Dock Street Yonkers, NY (link)
WEEKLY SLIDESHOW:
Agata Poniatowski from Billion Oyster Project out sampling in Bushwick inlet
Kissena Lake by Leona Chin and kissena Synergy
Benjamin, back for a second year, pictured here sampling outside the floating boom at the gowanus canal sponge park
Cody and new sampler Emily with the wallabout channel sample in the brooklyn navy yard. Dont you just hate when you forget to take a photo by the water?
Pebble beach aka dumbo cove by new sampler and Billion oyster project ambassador erica
anyone know whats happening on the other side of that boom? Photo from Benjamin at the gowanus canal sponge park
A picture perfect day at little neck bay in bayside queens by returning sampling mary
All 19 of our samples in the Billion oyster project williamsburg lab sealed up and ready for 24 hours in the incubator