A $9 MILLION restoration of saltwater marshes and tidal wetlands is in full bloom at Soundview Park.
The southern portion of the 205-acre Bronx park, once a landfill, has been transformed into a waterside sanctuary by the Army Corps of Engineers and the city Parks Department.
“The Corps of Engineers is proud to have worked with our many partners, and especially the local community, on this great ecosystem project in the Bronx,” Army Corps of Engineers New York District Commander Col. Paul Owen told The News.
A portion of the funding came from the Department of Environmental Protection in connection with the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Facility.
The three-year 15-acre project, started in 2011, included the excavation of roughly three acres immediately to the north of the park’s lagoon area, which were replaced with tidal wetlands.
Fill from the excavation was used to create a 12-acre upland meadow and forest.
“Salt marshes are ecologically and historically significant to New York City,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver. “The restoration of the salt marsh at Soundview Park will not only provide a haven for a diversity of wildlife but will also act as a natural filtration system to trap pollutants that could contaminate our bays and oceans.”
The revamped ecosystem will provide a habitat for birds and marine life, while improving the water quality for mud snails, fiddler crabs, horseshoe crabs, great blue herring and egrets.
“What existed in that area — illegal dumping, derelict vessels, debris and degraded habitat, has now been transformed into healthy wetlands with natural beauty in the middle of an urban setting,” Owen said.
“It’s just incredible.”
