WOODROW WILSON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE RUTGERS 1998

 

Historical Perspective

DeWitt Clinton HS,  is a 100 year old public educational institution that has been located in the northwest corner of the Bronx since 1927.  We are south of Van Cortlandt Park and immediately east of the Jerome Park Reservoir (a part of NYC water system).

East of the school is the Bronx River, which runs through the NY Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo, two famous world class institutions. The Bronx River Parkway, the first limited access highway in the US,  parallels the Bronx River.

There has been controversy in our area about possibly adding a water filtration plant at the reservoir site, due to degrading water quality conditions at the Croton Watershed. which feeds the Jerome Park Reservoir.

Because of the historical significance of the river area and the controversies concerning the reservoir, we will look at two watersheds.

Lower Hudson Watershed

• The Lower Hudson Watershed (including the Croton Watershed) covers the western side of Westchester County, along the Hudson River as well as the western edge of the Bronx from Broadway to the Hudson River.
• The Croton Watershed,  which supplies from 10% - 25% of NYC's water encompasses most of the upper Westchester part of the area. It feeds into the Jerome Avenue Reservoir through the Croton Aqueduct. Other reservoirs in this area supply Westchester communities.
• Water quality from this watershed has deteriorated as the county population increased and septic systems were added over the last 50 years.
• The Federal Government EPA has pressured NYC to improve the water quality and has suggested the building of a massive water filtration plant.
• The Jerome Park Reservoir site in congested northern Bronx is a logical location, has been strongly opposed due to the noise and debris and major heavy equipment involved. Also this project could take up to 10 years to complete.

Bronx Watershed

Additional Resources

Woodrow Wilson Leadership Program in Environmental Science lpt@www.woodrow.org
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation webmaster@woodrow.org
CN 5281, Princeton NJ 08543-5281 Tel:(609)452-7007 Fax:(609)452-0066