The Staten Island Bluebelt: A Case Study in Urban Watershed Management

摘要

By the early 1990s, southern Staten Island was in desperate need of a drainage infrastructure. As the last significant part of New York City without any formal storm or sanitary system, the area was plagued by flooded streets and polluted streams caused by failing septic systems. But South Richmond, as the area is known, is also home to the city’s last great stand of freshwater wetlands. Since a conventional piped system would have permanently drained these protected waterways, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection created a program that incorporated the existing wetlands into the overall drainage network. Using Best Management Practices (BMPs) as tools for conveying, storing, and filtering stormwater, the approach was applied over 10,000 acres covering 16 watersheds, collectively known as the Bluebelt. Now in its eleventh year, the program has constructed over 50 BMPs while providing the area with almost 100 miles of storm and sanitary sewer. As one of the largest projects of its kind in the Northeast, the Bluebelt contains a history of critical decisions that provide instruction on urban watershed management. One of its best examples is the Blue Heron watershed, completed in 2004. Covering 322 acres of suburban terrain, the watershed features seven BMPs, including four constructed wetlands, two outlet stilling basins, and one stream restoration, along with 5 ? miles of storm piping and 10 miles of sanitary sewer. This paper will focus on choices made in the development of its drainage network, including planning issues such as permitting and interagency coordination; design topics like hydraulic modeling, bioengineering, landscaping, and erosion control; construction issues such as scheduling and sequencing; and maintenance topics such as perimeter treatment and accessibility. The paper will conclude with recommendations for improving the implementation of BMPs in an urban environment.