Hudson Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan

The Evolving Vision of a World Class Harbor EstuaryHarbor DeepeningProject to -50 Ft.Drift RemovalDredged MaterialManagementChannel MaintenanceComprehensive PortImprovement PlanGreen PortImprovementsHarborOperationsCommitteeBeneficial Useof DredgedMaterialComprehensiveWaterfrontPlanningHudson-Raritan EstuaryComprehensive PlanLiberty State ParkPlanning forSea LevelRiseLower Passaic RiverNJ MeadowlandsHarbor Estuary ProgramJamaica BayBronxRiverStorm PreparednessPlanningStorm/Flood RiskManagement ProjectsHurricaneEvacuation Plan

HRE PlanningRegionsLowerHudsonRiverNewark Bay, PassaicRiver, HackensackRiverHarlem River,East River,Western LongIsland SoundArthur Kill/Kill Van KullUpperBayJamaicaBayLowerRaritanRiverLowerBay

What are the Problems in the HRE?• Degraded and contaminated sediments– Human health and ecological risks– Costly dredged material management• Lost and degraded habitat– 80% wetlands are gone– Oyster reefs and eelgrass have disappeared• Poor water quality• Impediments to fish passage• Minimal and dilapidated public access

What are the Problems in the Harlem River /East River / Western Long Island Sound?• IndustrialDischarge• Urban Runoff• HardenedShorelines• Loss of NaturalHabitats

Ongoing Ecosystem Restoration in HREHEP SITESHarbor Estuary Program/HRE Nominated SitesSee Handout

Ongoing Ecosystem Restoration in the UpperBay Planning RegionLong Island Sound StudySave the Sound, NOAA, USEPA, USFWS,CTDEP, NYSDEC, NYCDEPBronx River RestorationUSACE, NYCDEP, Westchester County Dept.of PlanningFlushing Bay and Creek RestorationStudyUSACE, NYCDEP, PANYNJHarbor Herons ProjectNYC AudubonSoundview ParkUSACE, NYCP&R, NYCDEP

Target Ecosystem CharacteristicsTECsIllustrate:[What][Where][How Much][By When]11 CRP Goal: Create and Restore a mosaic of habitats within a humandominatedlandscape

The CRP includes…• What are we trying to Restore?– Regional Restoration Goals/TECs• Where can we restore?Restoration Opportunities for each TEC– Existing HEP-nominated sites– Geographic Information System• Planning Considerations– Conceptual designs and costs– Technical, legal, regulatory constraints, data gaps• Implementation strategies– Potential sponsors and possible fundingmechanisms• Performance measures of progress and success

Eelgrass Bed Restoration Opportunities

Coastal Wetland TEC Opportunities

Islands for Waterbirds RestorationOpportunities

Oyster Reef Restoration Opportunities

Enclosed and Confined Waters ReductionOpportunitiesNote: This figure shows only predicted surface contamination from the Contamination Reduction and Assessment Program (CARP). Legacy chemicals buried below 10 cm are not shown.

RestorationOpportunities• Coastal Wetlands• Eelgrass Beds• Oyster Reefs• Islands forWaterbirds• Enclosed andConfined Waters

CoastalWetlands• TEC Goal: 1,200 acresby 2015 and 15,200acres by 2050• More than 12,000acres available forRestoration and14,000 acres forCreation

Oyster Reefs• TEC Goal: 500 acresby 2015 and 5,000acres by 2050• Potentially 50,000acres could besuitable

Eelgrass Beds• TEC Goal: One testbed in each PlanningRegion by 2015 andthree establishedbeds by 2050

Islands forWaterbirds• TEC Goal: Enhanceone island in each ofthe main islandgroups by 2015 andall islands by 2050

Policy ConsiderationsChallenges to Implementation….• Placement of fill in Open Waters• Habitat Trade-off / Exchange• Attractive Nuisance– Sediment Contamination– Oyster Reef Policies• Existing protected in-water Structures• Streamlined and Flexible Permitting Process• FundingAlign agency policies and programs to encourage andpromote restoration

Significant Challenge: FundingPotential Costs for Selected TECsTECUnit ofRestorationLow($/unit)Median($/unit)High($/unit)CoastalWetlandsOysterHabitatAcres $218,587 $277,009 $713,569Cyd excavated $49 $53 $144Acres $51,457 $52,478 $109,776Cyd shell placed $30 $65 $75Eelgrass Acres $1,080 $16,600 $170,083To Achieve Coastal Wetland Goal:• 1200 acres by 2015: $262 to $856 million• 15,200 acres by 2050: $3.3 to $10.8 billion

CRP Implementation• Federal, State, local and Private FundingSources and Mechanisms– Mitigation– Natural Resource Damages Trustees• HEP Restoration Work Group and PolicyCommittee– Strategies for coordination to achieve theTEC goals– Alignment of Agency policies to achieveCRP goalsImplementationusing ExistingAuthorityMitigationNRDANew ProgrammaticAuthorization

Feasibility Study• GOAL: Provide the Opportunity forFederal Cost Sharing for EcosystemRestoration Beyond Existing Authority• Existing USACE Authority:– Continuing Authorities Program• Sections 204/207: Beneficial Use of DredgedMaterial• Section 206: Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration• Section 1135: Project Modification• Future USACE Authority:– HRE Ecosystem Restoration Program

Oyster Restoration Research Program21 September 2010Tasks for Feasibility• Evaluation of CRP Sites/Projects Harbor-wide and withineach Planning Region– Analysis of ecological benefits and costs• Identification of New Restoration Opportunities• Develop Implementation strategies• Further State of the Science foreach TEC through detailedinvestigations for oysters,waterbirds, etc.

Oyster Restoration Research PartnershipThe Army Corps-NY District/Port Authority of NewYork & New Jersey and Partners (Hudson RiverFoundation, NY/NJ Baykeeper, Harbor School, Univ.of New Hampshire, NYCDEP, and others) initiatedconstruction of Oyster Reef Pilots within the NY/NJHarbor Estuary. The data collected from this effortwill advance the state of the science for the oysterreef Target outlined in the HRE ComprehensiveRestoration Plan as part of the HRE EcosystemRestoration Feasibility Study.Oyster Reef Locations9 tons of shell placed atop rubbleOyster spat on shell will beplaced on the reef end ofOctober followed by long-termmonitoring by our Partners23 tons of rubble placed as reef foundation

Oyster Restoration Research Project(ORRP)• 6 reef sites: Staten Island, Hastings, Governors Island,Soundview (Bronx River), Jamaica Bay, Bay Ridge Flats• Approximately 15 feet by 30 feet are designed to mimicnatural reefs as much as possible.Photo by: USACE

Status of Evaluation of CRPOpportunities• Total Sites: 320• Updated Via InternetSearch: 260• Sites with ConceptualPlans: 101• Sites with digitizedConceptual Plans: 91• Each Restoration Opportunity will bevalidated by Partners/Nominators

What Can You Do?• Identify New Restoration Sites andProjects– www.OasisNYC.net• Identify Local Master Plans• Partner with the USACE on RestorationProjects• Spread the Word

Coordination with Ongoing Projects

Soundview Park, Bronx, New YorkEcosystem Restoration StudyLocal Sponsor: NYC Parks & Recreation

Soundview Park Overview

Soundview Park – Study Area

Soundview Embayment Looking North

Soundview Park -Existing EmbaymentConditions

Soundview Park- Remnant Marsh

Soundview Park - Berm

Soundview - Upland

OverlookApproximately 6 .7 acres of grasses,trees, and ball fieldsBuffer areaplantingsApproximately 3.7 acres ofmarsh plantingsEast RiverSoundview Park Conceptual Plan

Questions?For More Information or to Comment on the HRE Ecosystem Restoration Study :Email: HRE-PLAN-Comments@usace.army.milWebsite: WWW.Watersweshare.orgLisa BaronChief, Harbor Programs Branch917-790-8306Lisa.a.baron@usace.army.milPeter WepplerChief, Coastal Ecosystem Section917-790-8634Peter.m.weppler@usace.army.mil