An alliance reclaims the Bronx River - The New York Community Trust

July 19, 2023 | By The New York Community Trust

An alliance reclaims the Bronx River

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE: Concerted actions from government and residents over the years have transformed the Bronx River. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Camilo José Vergara [reproduction number, LC-DIG-vrg-02427]

Not too long ago, it would have been unwise, if not impossible, to navigate the Bronx River due to decades of accumulated pollution and debris. Since 2000, the annual Bronx River Flotilla has raised funds as participants saw the corridor improve firsthand. Today, an expert kayaker could take a lovely trip from the Bronx county line in the north to where the river empties out into the Long Island Sound. Along the way, between the highway overpasses and occasional abandoned factory, she’d see bikers, joggers, strollers, beavers, egrets, herons, and maybe even a couple of dolphins.

The revival of the Bronx River was not an accident. Hundreds of millions of dollars from federal, state, and local governments were invested in its restoration. A key turning point was a $15 million federal cleanup grant in 1997 thanks to former U.S. Rep. José Serrano.

But the real catalyst was the tens of thousands of hours of volunteer efforts by Bronx residents (and other New Yorkers who care about the environment), combined with consistent and patient philanthropic support.

A Partnership finds success

It started with a group of Bronx-ites who decided to do something about the polluted river running through their neighborhoods. Calling themselves the Bronx River Working Group, they spent weekends removing trash and debris from the river’s shoreline. They became the Bronx River Restoration Project, then the Bronx Riverkeeper Program, and ultimately incorporated as the Bronx River Alliance in 2001. Among the founders of the group were THE POINT Community Development Corporation, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, and the City Parks Foundation.

Soon after the Alliance received its first foundation grant from The Trust, the indefatigable Linda Cox was recruited from the city Parks Department to become the Alliance’s first paid staff person, and its first executive director. Many might feel daunted to head a tiny organization with a huge mission, but Cox said that the audacious ambition of the Alliance is exactly what got her to take the plunge.

Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Design and Construction

Taking out the trash

The Alliance estimates that together with its predecessors it has been responsible for removing close to 800 tons of garbage and debris from the river. Alliance staff remain vigilant in their stewardship of the river: a few months ago, they got the Department of Transportation to stop dumping debris from a Cross Bronx Expressway construction project into the river. Among the organization’s most ambitious projects is the Bronx River Greenway—a continuous ribbon of accessible green space along the river.

Complex and ambitious projects, such as the restoration of an urban river, require patient and persistent capital—the kind that community foundations and passionate philanthropists specialize in. Tens of millions in city and state capital has been invested in the river as a result of these community advocates.

This short history doesn’t do justice to the decades of struggle that it took to get there. The Trust is grateful to those who persisted, and proud to continue this commitment with them.

“Thank you, Bronx humans!” – Exclusive interview!

With so much news going on, you may have missed the story about the two dolphins spotted near Starlight Park along the Bronx River. Others broke the story, but we have the first interview with these unusual Big Apple tourists.