On August 6th, RPA staff embarked on a tour of Newtown creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Hosted by Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA), RPA visited the Kingsland Wildflower Green Roof and Newtown Creek Nature Walk. These are just two of the eight sites that sit on the 3.8 mile tributary, which is ultimately eleven miles of shoreline.

A highlight of the tour was the Kingsland Wildflower Green Roof project. The scenic view of the NYC skyline, accompanied by the natural beauty of native wildflowers, was a unique and breathtaking sight. Finding the green roof may initially be confusing, as the site is located on top of an active film studio in a formerly heavy industrial area. This fittingly speaks to the transition the area has undergone, from heavy industry historically, to light industry and creative uses in the present.

Newtown Creek was identified as a Superfund site in 2010. The creek has been so immensely contaminated that the sediment at the bottom of the creek accumulated 10-15 feet of toxic contaminants. There is currently a proposal for a CSO tunnel that would divert stored sewage into the Newtown Creek wastewater treatment plant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The tunnel would be 26ft wide, running 3.26 miles between 80 and 130 feet below ground. It would store up to 50 million gallons of runoff that would otherwise flow into the creek when it rains. According to our partners at NCA, the Environmental Protection Agency aims to have the creek cleaned up by 2042, and it is believed that this tunnel will help that goal come to fruition.

The Nature Walk section of the site is open from dawn to dusk, and meanders through sections of the creek that are considered contaminated. Signs posted along the route warn visitors against coming into contact with the water, and clearly prohibit the consumption of crab and mussels that may be found along the creek. Though eerie, the Nature Walk allows for an authentic experience of the current state of the creek itself, showcasing the reality of human impact on our environment and providing glimpses of the potential the creek has for restoration and transformation.