Michael R. Bloomberg, MayorCarter H. Strickland, Jr., Commissioner

Preserving and Restoring Wetlands for Flood Control in

New York City’s Richmond County

New York City Department of Environmental ProtectionBureau of Water and Sewer Operations

59-17 Junction BoulevardFlushing, New York 11373-5108

Enhanced wetland for flood control

Staten IslandBluebelt

Staten IslandBluebelt

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Staten Island residents can play a vital role in sup-porting the Bluebelt by helping to keep streamsand wetlands pristine and by protecting them frompollution.

Get Involved• Become a member of the

Adopt-A-Bluebelt Program.The program offers local commu-nity groups, companies and indi-viduals an opportunity to enhanceStaten Island's open spaces byacting as Sponsors who adoptparts of the Bluebelt. Under theProgram, Sponsors may hire pri-vate companies as maintenanceproviders, to care for Bluebeltsites. Each Sponsor's generosityis acknowledged with a sign, dis-playing the name of the Sponsorat the adopted site.

• Organize a Bluebelt clean-up or participate in any one ofDEP's Friends of the Bluebelt clean-up events held each year.

• Join a group that shares your interest in the environment suchas Friends of Wood Duck Pond, Friends of Jack's Pond, yourlocal civic association, or contact your Community Board tolearn about its activities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE ACTIVITIESCALL 311 AND ASK TO BE CONNECTED TO DEP'S

STATEN ISLAND BLUEBELT FIELD OFFICE

• Report illegal dumping directly to 311.

Prevent Pollution• Connect your laundry water discharge to a sanitary sewer, where

available. It is the law! Laundry water pollutes the Bluebelt.

• Check your car for leaks. Take used motor oil and antifreeze tolocal gas stations for recycling.

DON’T DUMP THEM DOWN STORM DRAINS! IT IS ILLEGALAND POLLUTES THE ENVIRONMENT.

• Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces.

• Use biodegradable detergents when washing your car. Wash it ina location where you can minimize the flow of detergents intostorm drains.

• Clean up after your pets. It’s the law! Pet waste contains harmfulnutrients and pathogens that can contaminate surface water.

• Dispose of yard waste properly; don’t dump it in marshes orvacant lots. The NYC Department of Sanitation collects yardwaste for composting.

• Follow directions closely when using fertilizers and pesticides toavoid polluting run-off.

Dial 311 for all Non-Emergency NewYork City Government Information andServices.

Learn more about the Staten IslandBluebelt at www.nyc.gov/dep.

Pond restoration

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Kill Van KullStaten Island BluebeltThe Staten Island Bluebelt is an award-winning pro-gram that provides ecologically sound and cost-effec-tive storm water management for approximately onethird of Staten Island’s land area. The program pre-serves natural drainage corridors, called Bluebelts,including streams, ponds, and other wetland areas.

Preservation of these wetland systems allows them to perform theirfunctions of conveying, storing, and filtering storm water. In addition,the Bluebelts provide important community open spaces and diversewildlife habitats.

The Bluebelt program saves tens of millions of dollars in infrastruc-ture costs when compared to providing conventional storm sewersfor the same land area. This program demonstrates how wetlandpreservation can be economically prudent and environmentallyresponsible.

Bluebelt WatershedsA watershed is a geographic area that contributes water to a partic-ular stream or water body. The current Bluebelt system drains 15watersheds clustered at the southern end of the Island, plus theRichmond Creek watershed. The combined area of these 16watersheds totals approximately 10,000 acres.

The New York CityDepartment of EnvironmentalProtection (DEP) has complet-ed new drainage plans for these16 watersheds. These plansconnect the natural drainagecorridors with conventionalstorm sewers for an integratedstorm water management sys-tem.

The wetlands located withinthe watershed areas act asflood control measures. Bytemporarily storing floodwa-ters, wetlands help protectadjacent and downstream prop-erty owners from flood dam-age. Urban wetlands areespecially valuable in this regardbecause the impervious sur-faces created by urban develop-ment, like streets and rooftops,increase the rate, velocity andvolume of surface water runoff.

DEP has an ongoing program to purchase wetland properties forinclusion into the Bluebelt system. Other publicly and privatelyowned wetland areas are also incorporated into the system. Theseproperties include New York City park land, New York State wetlandpreserves, Designated Open Space, and other City-owned properties.

Bluebelt ConstructionTo control storm water dis-charges, DEP has undertaken amajor capital program to buildspecial Bluebelt facilities wherethe storm sewers end and thenatural areas begin. These facili-ties, known as Best ManagementPractices or BMPs, minimize thenegative impacts of storm sewerdischarges on those naturalareas. These facilities includeconstructed wetlands, stormwater detention ponds, andstream restoration projects.

Along with the development ofthese Bluebelt facilities, DEPcontinues to proceed with manycapital storm and sanitary sewerprojects in Bluebelt watersheds,as well as throughout the Island,to improve drainage for all StatenIsland residents.

Bluebelt Field ManagementHeadquartered in Tottenville, Staten Island, DEP’s Bluebelt field opera-tion maintains and manages the Bluebelt drainage system. Routineinspection and maintenance of the system helps to prevent streetflooding. By keeping the Bluebelt clean, field management forces alsoinsure that the Bluebelt will continue to be a community asset.Please see the back of this brochure for what you can do to help.

Future BluebeltsDue to the success of the Bluebelt system thus far, more Bluebelts inthe mid-Island area are in varying stages of development. The NewCreek Bluebelt, draining a watershed of 1,700 acres, is now beingacquired by DEP. Bluebelts in South Beach and Oakwood Beach arein development. A Citizens Advisory Committee is assisting DEPwith this effort.

Mill Pond after Hurricane Ivan

Stream restoration

StatenIsland

Brooklyn

Queens

Bronx

Man

hatt

an

NEW YORK CITY

BLUEBELT WATERSHEDSECOLOGICALLY SOUND AND COST-EFFECTIVE

STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

Staten IslandBLUEBELT