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Q&A
Use of natural geography and street creeks for water management
1:32:55
·
150 sec
Council Member Avilés inquires about DEP's consideration of using street creeks and natural geography for water management. Deputy Commissioner Angela Licata explains the Blue Belt program and its approach to utilizing natural features.
- The Blue Belt program respects existing streams and low depressional points in parks
- DEP works with the Parks Department to utilize natural areas in parklands
- The program purchases properties with naturally wet features or topography suitable for creating ponds and detention areas
- While many Blue Belt assets are in Staten Island, opportunities exist in other boroughs
- A team is currently assessing where such opportunities can be created or expanded citywide
Alexa Avilés
1:32:55
Great.
1:32:55
And so beautiful report I assume is findable online?
1:33:01
On DEP's website?
1:33:02
Yes.
1:33:03
Okay, great.
1:33:06
In terms of, I wonder in terms of nature based solutions, I wondered if DEP has ever considered using street creeks and how it engages with using kind of the natural geography where water is kind of moving underneath because we see the natural geography certainly directs water regardless of what we do in the built infrastructure.
1:33:35
So I was curious around how DEP is using our natural geography to manage some element of water management.
Angela Licata
1:33:45
Yeah, we spoke a little bit about that earlier, the history of the Blue Bell program and how that took into account and respected the existing streams that were present and low depressional points that might have existed within parks.
1:34:04
Some of those were wetlands, and they were greater than 12.4 acres.
1:34:09
They were protected by DEC.
1:34:11
You would at least have to get a permit.
1:34:12
There were some areas that were outside and adjacent areas of those wetlands, and they were vulnerable to redevelopment.
1:34:20
DP worked with the parks department to utilize a lot of the natural areas that they protected by creating these parklands.
1:34:29
And then we also purchased property that had naturally wet features or topography that allowed for storage by creating ponds and extended detention areas.
1:34:44
So that is something that we've done.
1:34:46
There's a team here behind me that is still looking at how best to continue to promote those practices citywide.
1:34:56
A lot of those assets that I described as part of the Blue Bear program occurred in Staten Island, which was the most intact borough, of course.
1:35:06
But there are opportunities elsewhere, and we do have some examples that are more limited in physical extent but do exist in the outer boroughs.
1:35:16
And they are going through all of that material now to see where the opportunities currently exist and where they can be created.
1:35:25
Right.