John Waldman
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780823249855
- eISBN:
- 9780823252589
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823249855.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Environmental History
New York Harbor is a sprawling network of tidal bays, inlets, channels, and creeks set within both the broader Hudson Estuary and the urban matrix of New York City. Many natural habitats may be ...
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New York Harbor is a sprawling network of tidal bays, inlets, channels, and creeks set within both the broader Hudson Estuary and the urban matrix of New York City. Many natural habitats may be found in the Harbor, from freshwater and brackish wetlands, to boulder and bedrock shores, to sand beaches, that together with strong seasonal temperature swings results in high biodiversity. This diversity includes odd tropical fishes that arrive via the Gulf Stream, local fish and shellfish of high historical or contemporary importance for food and sport such as oysters, sturgeon, eels, and striped bass, and recovered populations of wading birds such as herons, egrets, and ibis. With the great immigrant waves at the end of the nineteenth century New York's population swelled, but with no sewage treatment, all human wastes entered the Harbor's waters in raw form and accreting to as much as ten-feet thick, overwhelming the Harbor's animal life. This ecological and human health crisis led to slow actions and improvements in controlling pollution, but none more so than the Clean Water Act of 1972. New York Harbor has experienced profound physical alteration since the Colonial era, including dredged channels, filling of wetlands, creation of artificial islands, construction of piers and sea walls, and the blasting of reefs hazardous to navigation, such as in Hell Gate in the East River. A recent emphasis on habitat restoration is partly the product of cleaner water allowing the return of life. The state of the environment of New York Harbor is very different from its pre-Colonial condition but it has recovered to a reasonable level of ecological functionality. Its legacy of polluted sediments remains but is slowly improving, as are other indicators of overall ecological health, but it still faces concerns such as climate change, sea level rise, alien species, combined sewer overflows, and lingering chemical contamination. The Harbor also has been rediscovered as a recreational and educational amenity.Less
New York Harbor is a sprawling network of tidal bays, inlets, channels, and creeks set within both the broader Hudson Estuary and the urban matrix of New York City. Many natural habitats may be found in the Harbor, from freshwater and brackish wetlands, to boulder and bedrock shores, to sand beaches, that together with strong seasonal temperature swings results in high biodiversity. This diversity includes odd tropical fishes that arrive via the Gulf Stream, local fish and shellfish of high historical or contemporary importance for food and sport such as oysters, sturgeon, eels, and striped bass, and recovered populations of wading birds such as herons, egrets, and ibis. With the great immigrant waves at the end of the nineteenth century New York's population swelled, but with no sewage treatment, all human wastes entered the Harbor's waters in raw form and accreting to as much as ten-feet thick, overwhelming the Harbor's animal life. This ecological and human health crisis led to slow actions and improvements in controlling pollution, but none more so than the Clean Water Act of 1972. New York Harbor has experienced profound physical alteration since the Colonial era, including dredged channels, filling of wetlands, creation of artificial islands, construction of piers and sea walls, and the blasting of reefs hazardous to navigation, such as in Hell Gate in the East River. A recent emphasis on habitat restoration is partly the product of cleaner water allowing the return of life. The state of the environment of New York Harbor is very different from its pre-Colonial condition but it has recovered to a reasonable level of ecological functionality. Its legacy of polluted sediments remains but is slowly improving, as are other indicators of overall ecological health, but it still faces concerns such as climate change, sea level rise, alien species, combined sewer overflows, and lingering chemical contamination. The Harbor also has been rediscovered as a recreational and educational amenity.
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