WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP Prevent Pollution

WHAT YOU CAN DO
TO HELP
Staten Island residents can play a vital role in supporting the Bluebelt by helping to keep streams
and wetlands pristine and by protecting them from
pollution.
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Get Involved
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Prevent Pollution
Become a member of the
Adopt-A-Bluebelt Program.
The program offers local community groups, companies and individuals an opportunity to enhance
Staten Island's open spaces by
acting as Sponsors who adopt
parts of the Bluebelt. Under the
Program, Sponsors may hire private companies as maintenance
providers, to care for Bluebelt
sites. Each Sponsor's generosity
is acknowledged with a sign, displaying the name of the Sponsor
at the adopted site.
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Connect your laundry water discharge to a sanitary sewer, where
available. It is the law! Laundry water pollutes the Bluebelt.
Check your car for leaks. Take used motor oil and antifreeze to
local gas stations for recycling.
DON’T DUMP THEM DOWN STORM DRAINS! IT IS ILLEGAL
AND POLLUTES THE ENVIRONMENT.
Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces.
Use biodegradable detergents when washing your car. Wash it in
a location where you can minimize the flow of detergents into
storm drains.
Clean up after your pets. It’s the law! Pet waste contains harmful
nutrients and pathogens that can contaminate surface water.
Dial 311 for all Non-Emergency New
York City Government Information and
Services.
Learn more about the Staten Island
Bluebelt at www.nyc.gov/dep.
Dispose of yard waste properly; don’t dump it in marshes or
vacant lots. The NYC Department of Sanitation collects yard
waste for composting.
Follow directions closely when using fertilizers and pesticides to
avoid polluting run-off.
Preserving and Restoring
Wetlands for Flood Control in
New York City’s Richmond County
Organize a Bluebelt clean-up or participate in any one of
DEP's Friends of the Bluebelt clean-up events held each year.
Join a group that shares your interest in the environment such
as Friends of Wood Duck Pond, Friends of Jack's Pond, your
local civic association, or contact your Community Board to
learn about its activities.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE ACTIVITIES
CALL 311 AND ASK TO BE CONNECTED TO DEP'S
STATEN ISLAND BLUEBELT FIELD OFFICE
Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor
Carter H. Strickland, Jr., Commissioner
Report illegal dumping directly to 311.
New York City
Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations
59-17 Junction Boulevard
Flushing, New York 11373-5108
Pond restoration
Enhanced wetland for flood control
Staten Island
Bluebelt
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Future Bluebelts
Due to the success of the Bluebelt system thus far, more Bluebelts in
the mid-Island area are in varying stages of development. The New
Creek Bluebelt, draining a watershed of 1,700 acres, is now being
acquired by DEP. Bluebelts in South Beach and Oakwood Beach are
in development. A Citizens Advisory Committee is assisting DEP
with this effort.
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Headquartered in Tottenville, Staten Island, DEP’s Bluebelt field operation maintains and manages the Bluebelt drainage system. Routine
inspection and maintenance of the system helps to prevent street
flooding. By keeping the Bluebelt clean, field management forces also
insure that the Bluebelt will continue to be a community asset.
Please see the back of this brochure for what you can do to help.
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Along with the development of
these Bluebelt facilities, DEP
continues to proceed with many
capital storm and sanitary sewer
projects in Bluebelt watersheds,
as well as throughout the Island,
to improve drainage for all Staten
Island residents.
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To control storm water discharges, DEP has undertaken a
major capital program to build
special Bluebelt facilities where
the storm sewers end and the
natural areas begin. These facilities, known as Best Management
Practices or BMPs, minimize the
negative impacts of storm sewer
discharges on those natural
areas. These facilities include
constructed wetlands, storm
water detention ponds, and
stream restoration projects.
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Stream restoration
The wetlands located within
the watershed areas act as
flood control measures. By
temporarily storing floodwaters, wetlands help protect
adjacent and downstream property owners from flood damage. Urban wetlands are
especially valuable in this regard
because the impervious surfaces created by urban development, like streets and rooftops,
increase the rate, velocity and
volume of surface water runoff.
Brooklyn
H
JO
The New York City
Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) has completed new drainage plans for these
16 watersheds. These plans
connect the natural drainage
corridors with conventional
storm sewers for an integrated
storm water management system.
FO
ST
MU L
A watershed is a geographic area that contributes water to a particular stream or water body. The current Bluebelt system drains 15
watersheds clustered at the southern end of the Island, plus the
Richmond Creek watershed. The combined area of these 16
watersheds totals approximately 10,000 acres.
3
U ST
Bluebelt Watersheds
Queens
IN D
The Bluebelt program saves tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure costs when compared to providing conventional storm sewers
for the same land area. This program demonstrates how wetland
preservation can be economically prudent and environmentally
responsible.
DEP has an ongoing program to purchase wetland properties for
inclusion into the Bluebelt system. Other publicly and privately
owned wetland areas are also incorporated into the system. These
properties include New York City park land, New York State wetland
preserves, Designated Open Space, and other City-owned properties.
Kill Van Kull
HOLLA N D AV
The Staten Island Bluebelt is an award-winning program that provides ecologically sound and cost-effective storm water management for approximately one
third of Staten Island’s land area. The program preserves natural drainage corridors, called Bluebelts,
including streams, ponds, and other wetland areas.
Preservation of these wetland systems allows them to perform their
functions of conveying, storing, and filtering storm water. In addition,
the Bluebelts provide important community open spaces and diverse
wildlife habitats.
Goethals
Bridge
Bronx
F R AN
Staten Island Bluebelt
BLUEBELT WATERSHEDS
ECOLOGICALLY SOUND
AND COST-EFFECTIVE
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT