Envisioning Life: A Resilient Community Acts for Environmental Policy Reform

“Project WASTE (Waterway And Street Trash Elimination) addresses floatable trash, one of the three major water quality issues on the Bronx River.“ — Bronx River Alliance

On August 31, 2022, Christian Murphy came across an unusual white foam floating on the Bronx River. 

“I need to go and see what the heck is happening,” said Murphy, ecology coordinator at the Bronx River Alliance. 

His team reported a strong, sour stench, coming from afar. Fish were “crawling out of the water and gasping,” he remembers the New York Botanical Garden reporting. With over 5,000 fish now gone from this ecosystem, the Bronx River Alliance felt determined to reach the root of this “fish kill.” 

“A Conservation Crew from the Bronx River Alliance was out in the Bronx River cleaning debris at the trash boom, a device that captures floatables easy to clean).”— Bronx River Alliance

The Bronx River Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing the Bronx River to a fishable and swimmable state, while working with parks, local nonprofits, the government, and the community. With a goal for a greener future, the Alliance aims to turn a once neglected river into a new community hub. We spoke with members of the Alliance and people in the community about these issues. 

“This is a long standing struggle that we have with our officials, just to try to get them to care as much as we do about preserving these natural spaces,” said Murphy.

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is a U.S. law passed in 1972 that sets the structure for monitoring water quality standards in surface waters. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented control programs under the CWA, including industrial wastewater guidelines. 

In New York State, a system of classifications has been developed for marine and freshwater ecosystems. The goal of this is to ensure that aquatic life and recreation is supported. 

However, in recent months, the Supreme Court has weakened its CWA protections, leaving more than half of 118 million wetlands for development purposes and reversing more than 50 years of CWA’s protection.

A constantly difficult issue for all legislation, nonprofits like the Alliance are starting to fill in gaps and supplement implementation of state policies.

Nydia Gutiérrez, public affairs and communications strategist for EARTHJUSTICE is facing many of the same struggles at her organization. “We are working on the front end of advocacy on regulation and state bills,” she said. “We partner with community groups to really get the word out there and possibly fix or write new laws that are more climate focused.”

“Everybody needs to understand at a massive level that passing legislation does not mean anything is going to change or happen,” said Isabella Romano, ecology assistant at the Bronx River Alliance.

This is why the Bronx River Alliance is currently implementing numerous of its own initiatives. In partnership with the Parks Department, the Alliance, and several other agencies, four to five parks have been opened in the past seven years. Additionally, Project WASTE and Project DROP have been launched by the Alliance’s ecology team to address debris and water bacteria, and local governments are funding sewage repairs. In the short term, the Alliance hopes to see less bacteria and chemicals, as well as more opportunities for recreation. In the long term, Murphy and Romano hope for swimming and fishing to flourish.

Even with the state’s lack of reach to all of its communities, the Alliance is focusing on “green infrastructure” to aid in reporting and sustaining the ecosystem. According to Murphy, a greywater system helps users avoid “burning through” clean water by filtering previously-used water and irrigating gardens. Another apparatus that the Alliance uses is a rain garden, in which stormwater and contaminated water is filtered through native plants and then the soil. According to Murphy, these are great examples of green infrastructure that's preventing pollution coming from streets from reaching other places. Murphy and his team are hopeful that more of these techniques will be used across New York City. 

On the other end of the river, for nearly a century, Westchester County has been interested in improving stability, aquatic habitats, and recreational opportunities, reducing flood as well as erosion hazards. While it’s been challenging to jumpstart sewage system repair, the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District and Westchester Department of Planning developed the Bronx River Corridor Study and Management Plan to track and prioritize flood and erosion reduction. This aims to improve channel stability and to maintain aquatic habitats and recreation across the Bronx River. 

“Fixing sewage systems is very expensive and a very slow process,” Murphy said. “I think it will be an ongoing issue next year.” 

As for the future of the Bronx River and clean water in New York, parents are among those thinking of water quality and health. “I think the water quality is something that is so important in our lives. With young children, it is a priority for me,” Charlotte Mizel, a mom living in New York City said. “Anywhere where it is safe for them to play in water is amazing, and a huge priority for young families living in New York.”

Looking five years down the line, Romano sees “kids with their feet in the water” as she drives along the Bronx River. 

The threat of toxicity?

“We wouldn’t have to worry about any of it,” she hopes.