Hutchinson River Restoration Project

by Patrick J. Gannon, Ph.D

The Hutchinson River of New York was once a beautiful waterway with spectacular biodiversity. Animals like bald eagles and otters were cautiously managed by native people in pre-colonial times. However, the Hutchinson River has been facing pollution from human activities since the beginnings of European colonization. Today, a significant amount of raw sewage enters the river from Mount Vernon’s faulty lines. The issue was reported by Save the Sound, a regional nonprofit that monitors the health of waterbeds flowing into the Long Island Sound. In an October 2019 article titled “Mount Vernon’s Neglect Puts Residents at Risk”, the Save the Sound Director of Water Protection Tracy Brown commented “we learned that the pollution had been known about for years prior and that New York  State Department of Environmental Conservation had already repeatedly tried to get Mount Vernon to make the needed repairs to fix the problems to no avail.”

Fast forward to 2022, after several years of lawsuits and water quality testing, Mount Vernon has received a 150 million dollar grant from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to correct their seriously damaged sewage and storm drain systems. The Mayor of Mount Vernon, Shawyn Patterson-Howard, commented “This is what government working together for the people looks like, and we’re excited to be moving forward together on this monumental sewer project.” Although this is a sizable amount of funding, some experts consider that to do the job right, considerably more money will be required; we’ll see!. 

As the project’s plans and timelines become public and the progress evident, the Hutchinson River Restoration Project will monitor longitudinal scientific evidence that proves, beyond all doubt, that the Mount Vernon project shows positive environmental outcomes that contribute towards timely healing of the Hutchinson River, as well as its incredible biodiversity that we all love.

Dr. Patrick J. Gannon is a Member of the Board of HRRP. He holds a Ph. D in Physical and Biological Anthropology from the City University of New York and is Adjunct Clinical Professor and Founding Chair (2007), Department of Science Education at Hofstra University

This past Mother’s Day, The Hutchinson River Restoration Project led a walk along a segment of the Hutchinson River Greenway Trail. Organized in conjunction with Jane’s Walk, this annual event honors the life and legacy of author and activist Jane Jacobs. Our walk almost didn’t happen – with the rain and wind on Saturday soaking the area, the cold and blustery weather on Sunday morning, and having the walk scheduled on Mother’s Day, we didn’t expect much of a turn out. However, fifteen participants showed up, much to our surprise and relief. Our intrepid and undaunted walkers came by car, bus, bicycle, and on foot, expressing great interest and enthusiasm for the adventure that lay ahead.

The 1.5 mile walk, led by HRRP Board members Amelia Zaino and Carl Lundgren, took off from the Bartow Avenue entrance to the Greenway in Co-Op City and ended at the site of our annual Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary Clean-Up at Shore Road and City Island Road. Before heading out, Amelia gave a brief talk to the group explaining the purpose of the walk and that stops at various locations along the trail that would serve to illustrate the topics on which she would speak. This included information and facts about the flora, fauna, geology, and history of the Hutch system, as well as problems associated with development and neglect of the area over the past century, and the steps that are now being taken to correct them. Participants added their own insights, observations and knowledge making the walk much more than a pre-planned nature hike.

Nature itself seemed to join in with us. At one of the stops near cell towers erected alongside the Metro North tracks, we witnessed an egret with a fresh caught fish in its beak flying up to a nest it had built atop one of the towers, eliciting oohs and aahs from the group.

Our final stop was a walk down to the site of our annual clean up, near the Bronx Equestrian Center. The path down to the Hutch had been full of puddles the day before but was clean and dry for us. The clean up site is the only location along this walk where participants could actually see the Hutch up close. Amelia pointed out the egrets and cormorants that were fishing across the way from us. Some members of the group were surprised to see oyster, clam, and mussel shells on the beach, testifying to the fact that the Hutch, while threatened in so many ways, is still a living, breathing, and thriving ecosystem. It was here that we got into the more serious discussions about the state of the Hutch, the problems that just about all participants were aware of, and what the next steps are for HRRP and the future of the Hutch. HRRP will be planning more events like this on a regular basis. Planning for our September Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary Clean-Up is already underway.

Thanks to all who participated and made the walk a truly memorable event: 
Amy G, Anne K, Bruce B, Carol D, Deb & Arne A, Ebony L, Jerry P, John C, Kevin D, Regina K, Tim F, and our HRRP Co-Chair Adjie Henderson. 

Submitted by Carl Lundgren, HRRP Secretary-Treasurer and Social Media Admin

Join the Hutchinson River Restoration Project on Sunday, May 8th starting at 11AM for a 1.5 mile walk from Bartow Avenue in Co-Op City to the Pelham Bridge in Pelham Bay Park. Along the way, we’ll explore spectacular vistas of the Hutchinson River and the Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary. We’ll discuss the history, current threats, and future of the Hutchinson River and ways we can all work together to preserve and protect this invaluable natural resource. Amelia Zaino and Carl Lundgren will be leading the walk.

Note that the official walk is “one-way”. Participants may choose to reverse and walk back with us to Bartow Avenue, or take the Bx29 bus to retrieve their vehicles if they are parked in Co-Op City.

ACCESSIBILITY

The route is 1.5 miles with slight hills and the potential for roots and other debris in the path. It is also a bike path, so participants are advised to be aware of, and move aside for cyclists. It is wheelchair accessible. Public transportation to the starting site is available (Bx28, Bx26, Bx30, Q50, Bx29, Bx12, Bx23, BxM7 buses), and public transportation from our end point to the start site is also available (Bx29).

LOCATION INFORMATION

We will assemble in the Bay Plaza shopping center parking lot (Northeast corner) (just behind the AMC Bay Plaza Cinema) located off Bartow Ave. at the Hutchinson River Parkway overpass . The trail begins just outside the lot. See the map below for more details. As participation is limited, please RSVP to:

Amelia Zaino: azainobx@gmail.com or
Carl Lundgren: carl.lundgren.bx@gmail.com

ABOUT JANE’S WALK NYC 

Jane’s Walk was founded as a way to celebrate the life and legacy of urban activist, Jane Jacobs, who believed in the power of individuals to influence their city. It now takes place in over 200 cities worldwide, with Jane’s Walk NYC, presented by the Municipal Art Society of New York, as the largest of these festivals. What started as a handful of walks in 2011 has since grown into a weekend of collective neighborhood storytelling featuring hundreds of walks online and across all five boroughs.

For more on Jane Jacobs and her legacy, click here

For those of you just discovering us, there’s so much to do!

First, our annual cleanup is this Sunday, September 19 at City Island Road and Shore Road – hope to see you there!

We are also looking to honor Jack Ullman, a true leader for the Hutch, by restoring our skiff, the Anne Hutchinson. This will help us explore and discover problems on the river.

Here is the letter we’ve been sending our Hutch Protectors:

Jack Ullman on an August 2017 excursion.

Here are two events this weekend in honor of Earth Day that we hope you’ll want to participate in:

Saturday, Apr. 24, 9:45 AM:

Rivers Run Community Garden Earth Day Parade
March with HRRP and show your support for our mission in restoring the Hutch. Call 347-920-1606 or email hutchinsonriver@gmail.com to let us know if you’ll be participating.


Sunday, Apr. 25, 10:00 AM – 1 PM:

Hutch River Greenway Clean-UpSign up here: http://tiny.cc/fhrg-cleanup
Visit Website or E mail for more information: Hutchrivergreen@outlook.com
Link for Website: https://hutchrivergreen.wixsite.com/website
Instagram: @hutchrivergreen

Our thanks and appreciation to all who participated in this years annual HRRP clean up of the Hutchinson River on Sunday, Sept. 20th. If you volunteered this year, we’d like you to fill out our clean up survey to give us your feedback on the experience with any suggestions, ideas and comments that might help us make improvements for future clean ups. You’ll find the survey here.

Despite the ongoing Covid pandemic and the safety guidelines we needed to follow, we still had a well attended turn out. We were limited to 25 participants and that’s just how many showed up. Special thanks to the leaders and scouts of Troop 109, Mt. Vernon. They accounted for more than half the attendees.

The day started off with brisk temperatures but quickly warmed up to what became  just about a perfect day. As we were not permitted to be out on the water ( no canoes were provided this year), the clean up was restricted to about a half mile stretch of shoreline adjacent to our usual assembly area.

We also want to give a shout out to our friend and neighbor Lovie Pignata for providing us with this big tank of much welcomed — and needed — coffee.

And, as always, our thanks to Marrianne Anderson, Lynne Corry and the rest of the Parks Dept. / Pelham Bay Park staff for giving us the go ahead for our clean up when we weren’t sure it would happen this year.

HRRP works in conjunction with The Ocean Conservancy / American Littoral Society as a participating group in their annual NYS Beach Clean Up program.  You can view the report we submitted for this year as well as for  past years in the Reports and Studies pages of this website.

Here are some more photos of this years clean up. Click on photos for larger image:

Adjie Henderson and Violet Smith at the sign in table	Our supply bench

On September 22nd, 2020, the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Southern District of New York granted a Summary Judgement against Mt. Vernon for illegal discharges into the Hutchinson River. The Hutch is most affected by pollution, sewage discharge, and illegal dumping. This is a major victory for the people. HRRP will be participating in a virtual meeting with State Senators Alessandra Biaggi (SD34), Jamaal Bailey (SD36), and Mt. Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard on Oct. 28th for updates and progress in remediating the problems.

Here is what the court ordered Mt. Vernon to do:

1. Track down and identify all sources of illicit discharge for impaired storm sewer system outfalls, and eliminate all sources of illicit discharge;
2. Perform necessary construction and repairs for impaired outfalls;
3. Complete inspections to ensure detection of future illicit discharge;
4. Obtain the necessary equipment, staffing, and funding to comply with its Clean Water Act and permit obligations;
5. Develop an updated storm water management plan;
6. Perform a sewer system evaluation survey of the sanitary sewer system to identify possible discharges of sewage and develop a sewer system corrective action plan; and
7. Submit periodic reports to EPA and New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

Additional Documents:

•  Full press release
• Complaint: Case 7:18-cv-05845,  filed 6/28/18
• Injunction: Case 7:18-cv-05845-CS,  filed 09/22/20

Today, Sept. 12, 2020, is City of Water Day in New York, and HRRP is doing it’s part to mark the day.

HRRP member Amelia Zaino has put together a virtual tour of the Hutchinson River that we’re premiering today.

Click this link to visit the Hutchinson River Virtual Tour. Click on the stars to learn more about the river as it flows from  Scarsdale  and into Eastchester Bay.