Op-Ed: Restoring waterways is crucial

The cleanup of the Bronx River helped blunt the impact of Hurricane Sandy write JOSÉ SERRANO AND JOHN F. CALVELLI in Crain’s (http://www.crainsnewyork.com)

The tristate area is only beginning to recover from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy. As we assess the damage and how we prepare for a future storm, it is worth noting that work by local communities, government and nonprofit groups to restore and stabilize the city’s local waterways may well be part of the answer.

Nowhere is this better typified than in the tremendous strides that have been taken to restore the Bronx River. Neglected for much of the 20th century, it is now a national model for reclaiming urban rivers, thanks to a joint effort of the federal government, the Bronx Zoo and dedicated local groups…
…The restoration of the floodplains in the lower Bronx River and the reconstruction of riparian habitat along the rest of the river helped to blunt the impact of the storm in nearby neighborhoods…

…Wetland restoration projects in the Bronx, Jamaica Bay and Jersey City seem to have survived Sandy with minimal damage. Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s PlaNYC wisely commits upwards of 1.5 billion dollars in the next two decades to natural, or “green,” infrastructure.