USGS Study

A baseline will be established for the quality of water currently entering the Harlem River from a small section of I-87 during precipitation events. Water-quality sampling will be conducted from a diverted downspout of I-87 adjacent to the proposed Brownfield site at Pier 5. The downspout carries water from a 60-foot section of the highway. The quantity of water draining into the park will also be determined based on precipitation data and roadway area calculations. This stormwater assessment will be supported through a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant awarded to the BCEQ for creating the stormwater capture park at Pier 5. One key element of the grant is that the quality of water that enters or is diverted from entering the Harlem River will be significantly better than before the park was constructed. Therefore, this preliminary study will provide BCEQ, NOAA, and NYS DEC some indication of the water entering the Pop-Up Wetlands and the capacity for retention by the engineered soil. The results of this sampling effort will support the contracted engineering firm during the construction of the full-scale riverside park meant to passively treat runoff from a 550-foot section of I-87 before it enters the Harlem River.

One of several storm drain outfalls along the Harlem River that diverts stormwater from the elevated Interstate-87 and local roadways below. This drain is less common in NYC as most of the City’s stormwater is captured in the combined sewer system where it is transported to one of 14 sewage treatment plants. A USGS gage house is being converted to an automated water collection station. The Pop-Up Wetlands are contained within the blue jersey barriers.