Urban Waters Initiative – BRONX & HARLEM RIVERS Active

Over the past century, the Harlem River watershed has become highly urbanized with 90 percent of the waterway constrained by infrastructure, which has limited access for recreational use. Bound by New York (Manhattan) and Bronx Counties, the Harlem River is a tidal strait between urbanized estuaries to the north (Hudson River) and south (East River). Direct inputs include the more than 50 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that discharge runoff from impervious surfaces and untreated sewage to the Harlem River during precipitation events. 

 

Historic uses of the Harlem River included swimming, boating, and fishing, as well as horseback riding and hiking through adjacent parklands. As urban sprawl continued and the local economy grew, the natural creeks and parklands along the river were filled and replaced by industry. The Harlem River was also widened and reshaped to facilitate commercial traffic and barges. The subsequent decline in the local economy over the past several decades has resulted in a number of abandoned buildings and vacant paved areas along the waterfront. The legacy of former industrialization has left the communities on both sides of the river isolated from the Harlem River, and a majority of residents have lost (or are too young to have ever known) a sense of its true value. 

 

A recent decision by N.Y.C. Department of Environmental Protection and the N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has paved the way for a multi-billion dollar effort aimed at improving infrastructure to divert some of the rainwater from reaching CSOs in an attempt to lessen the load of untreated sewage to the local waterways. These projects, along with participation from the community, are crucial first steps towards restoring the Harlem River to the valuable public resource it once was.