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115-763: The Waterfront Alliance or Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) is a nonprofit organization that works to influence the development and use of the waterfront, shoreline, and connected upland areas of the Port of New York and New Jersey and the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary . It was created as a project by the Municipal Art Society in 1999 and in 2007 it became an independent nonprofit organization. The Waterfront Alliance has been involving in several notable projects since its independence in 2007. Port of New York and New Jersey It includes

230-460: A Pathmark supermarket and a Dunkin' Donuts directly to the south. At this point, a walkway leads from Lowe's north to Ninth Street along the northern bank of the tributary and the eastern bank of the canal. Owing to its hidden location, the waterfront promenade has seen little use. At approximately 14th Street along the eastern bank, Hamilton Avenue and the Gowanus Expressway cross

345-400: A 1998 documentary film about the canal, two New York City police discussed the then-recent discovery of a suitcase containing human body parts that was taken from the waterway by fishermen. There have been reports of not just persons who have died in or near the canal, but vessels lost as well. For instance, on January 2, 1889, the tug boat "Hugh Bond" sank in the canal during a gale, though

460-408: A canal at their own expense through the land of Frederick Lubbertsen to supply water to run the mill. The petition was presented to the council on May 29, 1664, and the motion was granted. Another mill, Cole's Mill, was located just about at present day 9th Street, between Smith Street and the canal. Cole's Mill Pond, located north of 9th Street, occupied the present location of Public Place. In 1699,

575-399: A century, heavy industrial use poured pollutants into the canal. Various attempts to remove the pollution or dilute the canal's water have failed. High ratios of fecal coliforms , deadly proportions of pathogens , and a low concentration of oxygen have left it generally incompatible with macroscopic marine life, although a variety of extremophiles have been observed in the canal. Despite

690-503: A cost-sharing agreement with the DEP to collaborate on a $ 5 million Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study of the Gowanus Canal area. It was to examine possible alternatives for ecosystem restoration such as dredging, and wetland and habitat restoration and be completed in 2005. Discussions turned to breaking down the hard edges of the canal to restore some of the natural processes to improve

805-413: A day. The water quality of samples taken while the flushing pump was operating was reported to have improved. In 2010, New York City began a four-year project to upgrade and reactivate the flushing tunnel. According to The New York Times , the proposed plans included steps to "reconstruct the motor pit and replace the propeller with three modern vertical turbines; clean, patch and smooth the interior of

920-656: A reddish-purple color, and a colloidal mixture described as "black mayonnaise" accumulated on its bottom. In 1887, the New York State Legislature closed the Bond Street outflow point. By 1889, pollution in the Gowanus Canal had become so bad that the Legislature appointed a commission to study ways to ameliorate the canal's condition. It concluded that the canal would be best off if it were closed to commercial traffic and then covered-over. The commission also called

1035-574: A settler named Nicholas Vechte built a farmhouse of brick and stone now known as the Old Stone House . In 1776, during the Battle of Long Island , American troops engaged British Army troops at the house, enabling General George Washington to relocate his troops behind American lines. This house sat at the southeastern edge of the Denton's Mill pond. Brower's Mill, also known as Freeks Mill or Brouwer's Mill,

1150-399: A single company was actively using the Gowanus Canal as a shipping channel, and three of the drawbridges along the canal would only retract to let that company's boats pass. The few remaining barges mostly carried fuel oil, sand, gravel and scrap metal for export. The canal still serves as a port moving goods in and out of Brooklyn. Repeated calls have been made to revitalize the economy and

1265-442: A source of carcinogens ) were dumped back into the canal. Brooklyn's slaughterhouses dumped blood and other wastes into the canals. There was no through-flow of water and the canal was open at only one end, but the hope was that tides would be enough to flush the waterway. With the canal's wooden and concrete embankments, the strong tides of fresh diurnal doses of oxygenated water from New York Harbor were barred from flowing into

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1380-581: A year is projected. The Port Inland Distribution Network involves new or expanded transportation systems for redistribution by barge and rail for the shipped goods and containers that are delivered at area ports in an effort to curtail the use of trucks and their burden on the environment, traffic, and highway systems. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), are involved in initiatives to review and develop this network. To instantiate PIDN,

1495-479: A year. The authority's board authorized $ 118.1 million for the project. The National Docks Secondary rail line is being upgraded in anticipation of expanded volumes. In September 2014, the PANYNJ announced a $ 356 million capital project to upgrade and expand the facility, including Roll-on/roll-off operations. Expected to be operational about July 2016, an initial capacity of at least 125,000 cargo container lifts

1610-497: Is a major economic engine for the region. The region's airports make the port the nation's top gateway for international flights and its busiest center for overall passenger and air freight flights. There are two foreign-trade zones (FTZ) within the port. Encompassing an area within an approximate 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, the port district comprises all or part of seventeen counties in

1725-538: Is about 17 feet (5 m), but it was deepened over the years, to a controlling depth of about 24 feet (7 m) in 1880. By 1891, the Main Ship Channel was minimally 30 feet (9 m) deep. Following the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 over $ 1.2 million of initial funding was appropriated for the dredging of 40 ft (12.2 m)-deep channels at Bay Ridge , Red Hook , and Sandy Hook . In 1914, Ambrose Channel became

1840-485: Is located adjacent to a "Sponge Park", which absorbs pollutants from the western bank before they can go into the canal. At Fourth Street, the Fourth Street Basin splits off to the east, while the Gowanus Canal proper turns west. A walkway with seating, built as part of the construction of a Whole Foods Market , is located on the north bank of the 4th Street Basin. At Hoyt Street, two blocks west of Bond Street,

1955-405: Is responsible for bulkhead and channel maintenance. The United States Coast Guard deals with issues such as floatable debris , spills, vessel rescues, and counter-terrorism. Both states, and some municipal governments (New York City, in particular), maintain maritime police units . The United States Park Police monitors federal properties. The National Park Service oversees some of

2070-619: The Bayonne Bridge has been raised from 155 feet (47.2 m) to 215 feet (65.5 m). The Sandy Hook Pilots are licensed maritime pilots that go aboard oceangoing vessels, passenger liners , freighters , and tankers and are responsible for the navigation of larger ships through port district. The estuary was originally the territory of the Lenape , a seasonally migrational people who would relocate summer encampments along its shore and use its waterways for transport and fishing. Many of

2185-638: The Canarsee , who farmed on the shores. Adam Brouwer, who had been a soldier in the service of the Dutch West India Company , built and operated the first tide-water gristmill patented in New York at Gowanus. The mill was located on land that was deeded on July 8, 1645, to Jan Evertse Bout. It was the first gristmill in the town of Breukelen and the first mill to operate in New Netherland. The mill

2300-756: The Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CRCX) on the Chemical Coast Secondary connect to the East Coast rail freight network carriers Norfolk Southern (NS), CSX Transportation (CSX), and Canadian Pacific (CP). The network is partially financed by a surcharge on all containers passing through the port by train or truck. While most consumer goods are transported in containers , other commodities such as petroleum and scrap metal are handled at facilities for marine transfer operations , bulk cargo , and break bulk cargo throughout

2415-547: The Corp of Engineers halted their study immediately, giving all their research to the EPA. Initially, local residents resisted the EPA's proposed cleanup methods, as they feared that the toxic waste retrieved from the canal would instead be displaced onto nearby public areas. By 2013, the NYCDEP was planning to reduce the sewage content of the canal by repairing the freshwater tunnel that flushed

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2530-517: The Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne , indicating that additional container port facilities would be created. The agency is expected to develop a terminal capable of handling the larger container ships to be in service once the new, wider Panama Canal opens in 2014, some of which would not have passed under the original Bayonne Bridge at the Kill van Kull . A project to raise to the roadway of

2645-542: The New York City Community College (now New York City College of Technology , or City Tech) to test the Gowanus Canal's water for bacteria. The organisms they found included several that caused typhoid , cholera , dysentery , and tuberculosis . The next year, funding was obtained for a preliminary assessment of the canal. Initial findings revealed an almost total absence of oxygen, much raw sewage, grease, oil, and sludge. In 1978, construction began on

2760-696: The New York Tunnel Extension under the Hudson Palisades , Hudson River , Manhattan , and East River due to electrified lines and lack of ventilation . Overland travel crosses the Hudson River 140 miles (225 km) to the north using a right of way known as the Selkirk hurdle . The Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel is a proposed rail tunnel under the Upper Bay . The western portal would be located at

2875-712: The Passaic River and Hackensack River , and the northern entrance of Arthur Kill. The Gowanus Canal and Buttermilk Channel are entered from the east. The East River is a broad strait that travels north to Newtown Creek and the Harlem River , turning east at Hell Gate before opening to Long Island Sound , which provides an outlet to the open sea. The port consists of a complex of approximately 240 miles (386 km) of shipping channels , as well as anchorages and port facilities. Most vessels require pilotage , and larger vessels require tugboat assistance for

2990-519: The Port of Los Angeles reclaiming its position as the nation's busiest. ExpressRail is the rail network supporting intermodal freight transport at the major container terminals of the port. The development of dockside trackage and railyards for transloading has been overseen by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey which works in partnership other public and private stakeholders . Various switching and terminal railroads , including

3105-461: The Smith–Ninth Streets station, which is partially located above the canal and is served by the F , <F> , and ​ G trains. There is a short tributary to the east, about 185 feet (56 m) long, connecting to the parking lot of a Lowe's home-improvement store to the east, and Hamilton Plaza: a shopping center located at 1-37 12th Street which formerly housed

3220-643: The Teamsters , and the International Longshoremen's Association assist and represent some of the port's mariners and dockworkers . The airports in the Port of New York and New Jersey combine to create the largest airport system in the United States, the second in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the first in the world in terms of total flight operations. JFK air freight cargo operations make it

3335-1036: The Upper Bay between the Greenville Yard in Jersey City and the 65th Street Yard and the Bush Terminal Yard in Brooklyn . At the Greenville end, CSX Transportation operates through Conrail's North Jersey Shared Assets Area along the National Docks Secondary . At Brooklyn , end connections are made to the New York and Atlantic Railway 's Bay Ridge Branch and the South Brooklyn Railway . The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) crossing takes approximately 45 minutes. The equivalent truck trip would be 35 to 50 miles (80 km) long. Freight rail has never used

3450-558: The prototype , opened in 1962. Expanded intermodal freight transport systems and the Interstate Highway System effected a shift to new terminals at Newark Bay . Since the 1980s, sections of waterfront in the traditional harbor have been being redeveloped to include public access to the water's edge, with the creation of linear park greenways such as Hudson River Park , Hudson River Waterfront Walkway , and Brooklyn Bridge Park . The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt ,

3565-569: The tidal salt marshes supported vast oyster banks that remained a major source of food for the region until the end of the 19th century, by which time contamination and landfilling had obliterated most of them. The first recorded European visit was that of Giovanni da Verrazzano , who anchored in The Narrows in 1524. For the next hundred years, the region was visited sporadically by ships on fishing trips and slave raids . European colonization began after Henry Hudson 's 1609 exploration of

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3680-588: The vehicular crossings and the rapid transit system between New York and New Jersey , several of the region's airports, and other transportation and real estate development projects. The Port Authority maintains its own police force , as does the Waterfront Commission , created in 1953 to investigate, prosecute, and prevent criminal activity. The United States Army Corps of Engineers , which has been involved in harbor maintenance since about 1826, when Congress passed an omnibus rivers and harbors act,

3795-403: The 1960s. This culminated in an incident when a city worker dropped a manhole cover , severely damaging the pump system, which was already suffering from the effects of the corrosive salt water . The Clean Water Act of 1972 had not yet been passed, and the city, stretched for funds at the time, did nothing to address the issue. As a result of the unrepaired damage to the flushing tunnel, and

3910-546: The EPA amended the 2020 order with a $ 369 million contract, beginning the second phase of cleanup, with no end date in sight. The canal's toxic sediment layer averages 10 feet (3.0 m) thick, and at some spots reaches 20 feet (6.1 m). As part of the Superfund cleanup, the EPA would remove approximately 307,000 cubic yards (235,000 m ) of highly contaminated sediment from the upper and middle segments and 281,000 cubic yards (215,000 m ) of contaminated sediment from

4025-405: The EPA to address the canal's environmental problems. In May 2009, the city stepped forward to oppose the Superfund listing. For the first time it offered to produce a Gowanus cleanup plan that would match the work of a Superfund cleanup, but with a promise to accomplish it faster. The city said it could now achieve a faster cleanup than the EPA. It would fund the cleanup through taxpayer dollars from

4140-555: The Gowanus Canal. Long-time restaurateur Nick Monte called it a "stinking, cancerous sore" and a "stinking cesspool". CGA founder Salvatore "Buddy" Scotto Jr. referred to the canal as "the most polluted waterway in the world", and "the spine of our deterioration", relating it directly to the economic problems of the area. In 1971, the City of New York held hearings on a Gowanus Industrial Urban Renewal Project, but did not support it with funding. In 1974, Scotto brought microbiologists from

4255-566: The Gowanus Creek was deepened so it could be used as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) commercial waterway connected to Upper New York Bay . The creek's dredging was completed in 1860. Another act of the Legislature in 1867 allowed the canal to be deepened further. In the same decade, a developer named Edwin Litchfield undertook a project to straighten the creek into a canal. At the time the 1.8-mile-long (2.9 km), 100-foot-wide (30 m) canal

4370-521: The Gowanus. The repair was designed to mitigate, but not eliminate, the sewage problem. On September 27, 2013, the EPA approved a cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal. The plan, which would cost $ 506 million was intended to be completed by 2022, and divided the canal into three segments split by 3rd Street and the Hamilton Avenue Bridge. The plan entailed three steps: dredging contaminated sediment from

4485-571: The Greenville Yard, while the eastern portal is undetermined and a source of controversy. In May 2010, the Port Authority announced that it would purchase the Greenville Yard and build a new barge-to-rail facility there, as well as improve the existing railcar float system. The barge-to-rail facility is expected to handle an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 containers of solid waste per year from New York City, eliminating up to 360,000 trash truck trips

4600-468: The PANYNJ signed an agreement November 29, 2003 with the Port of Albany to provide twice weekly barge service. By 2014, the service had been discontinued. Gowanus Canal The Gowanus Canal (originally known as Gowanus Creek ) is a 1.8-mile-long (2.9 km) canal in the New York City borough of Brooklyn , on the westernmost portion of Long Island . Once a vital cargo transportation hub,

4715-538: The Pumping Station. At first, the brick-lined 1.2-mile (1.9 km) tunnel supplied clean water from the Buttermilk Channel between Brooklyn and Governors Island , carried it eastward underneath Butler Street, and discharged the clean water at the mouth of the Gowanus Canal. The flushing tunnel also failed, and aside from numerous operational glitches, a long series of errors and mistakes occurred throughout

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4830-605: The Red Hook Sewage Treatment plant in Vinegar Hill that had been planned since the 1950s. A full study of the canal was published in 1981. It indicated that on an average day, more than 13,000,000 US gallons (49,000,000 L) of raw sewage emptied into it. The report also documented the decreasing use of the canal by industry and shipping. The number of industrial firms using the canal fell from nearly fifty in 1942 to six in 1981. The amount of freight brought through

4945-414: The adjacent neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens and Park Slope. Wealthier residents tended to live inland and uphill to avoid the smells and "discomforts" of lower areas. Industries, which needed water for processing, transport, and disposal of wastes, gravitated toward sites along the shoreline. The mills on the Gowanus were home to public landing sites, connecting the water route to the old Gowanus Road. As

5060-667: The air and water beneath. Around this time, sewage going to the Gowanus Canal was redirected into sewage treatment plants near the Buttermilk Channel. With the early 1960s growth of containerization , the number of industrial waterfront jobs in the state declined, and the canal's industries were no exception. With much fanfare, the USACE completed its last dredging of the canal in 1955, and soon afterward abandoned its regular dredging schedule, deeming it to no longer be cost-effective. The intake fan that brought Buttermilk Channel water into

5175-406: The bottom of the canal; capping the dredged areas; and implementing controls on combined sewer overflows to prevent future contamination. It also involved excavating and restoring approximately 475 feet (145 m) of the former 1st Street Basin and 25 feet (7.6 m) of the former 5th Street Basin. The restoration was expected to be paid for by the host of entities deemed "responsible parties" for

5290-656: The bridge within the existing arch was completed in May, 2019. The terminal's combined volume makes it the largest on the East Coast , the third busiest in the United States , Handling a cargo volume in year 2023 of over 7.8 million TEUs , benefitting post-Panamax from the expansion of the Panama Canal . As of 2023, the terminals experienced a more severe reduction in cargo volume compared to California seaports, resulting in

5405-524: The busiest in the US. FedEx Express , the world's busiest cargo airline , uses Newark Liberty International Airport as its regional hub. There are four container terminals in the port: Terminals are leased to different port operators , such as A. P. Moller-Maersk Group , American Stevedoring, NYCT, and Global Marine Terminal. In June 2010, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed to purchase from Bayonne 128 acres (0.52 km ) of land at

5520-531: The canal "a disgrace to Brooklyn" because of the foul smells arising from the waterway. The first step to ameliorate the canal's pollution was the 1890s construction of the Bond Street sewer pipeline that carried sewage out into the harbor. This proved inadequate. In the first attempt to improve flow at the northern, closed end of the canal, the "Big Sewer" was constructed from Marcy Avenue in Prospect Heights to Green and 4th Avenues in Gowanus. It then entered

5635-543: The canal at a diagonal from southeast to northwest, connecting to Lorraine Street on the western bank. Separate movable bascule bridges built in 1942 carry both directions of Hamilton Avenue's traffic, while the Gowanus Expressway rises on a viaduct far above the canal. The Gowanus Canal's mouth is at the Gowanus Bay, a portion of Upper New York Bay bordering western Brooklyn. The mouth is located near 19th Street on

5750-416: The canal at an inflow point near Butler Street. Scientific American featured this sewer design for its innovative construction method and size. The area the sewer ran through was known as the "Flooded District". It was believed that this new sewer would serve two purposes: to drain the flooded district, and to use the flow of that excessive water to move the water of the upper Gowanus Canal. The tunnel

5865-427: The canal began in 2013. The Gowanus Canal begins at Butler Street in the neighborhood of Boerum Hill , in the northwestern part of Brooklyn. The wastewater pumping station at 201-234 Butler Street, a terracotta structure dating to 1911, is located north of the canal's head. The canal then runs in a south-southwest alignment parallel to the local street grid. Its course is located mid-block between Bond Street to

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5980-567: The canal has seen decreasing use since the mid-20th century as domestic shipping declined. It continues to be used for occasional movement of goods and daily navigation of small boats, tugs, and barges. It is among the most polluted bodies of water in the United States. Connected to Gowanus Bay in Upper New York Bay , the Gowanus Canal borders the neighborhoods of Red Hook , Carroll Gardens , and Gowanus , all within South Brooklyn , to

6095-482: The canal soon after the Civil War . Coal processing had been a dominant industry since 1869. By the late 19th century, there were 22 coal plants with frontage on the canal. Coal plants along the upper canal used large amounts of water in the conversion of coal to coke, liquids and gases. Coal gas was soon used for heating, light, and factory power. Coke was used to make steel. Wastewater and coal tar (now known to be

6210-503: The canal turns south with two extra tributaries at the east: one 480-foot-long (150 m) tributary at Seventh Street, and another 700-foot-long (210 m) near Sixth Street. Shortly afterward, it crosses under the Ninth Street Bridge, a vertical-lift bridge opened in 1999. The New York City Subway 's Culver Viaduct , a 90-foot-tall (27 m) fixed-span viaduct, crosses above the Ninth Street Bridge. The viaduct contains

6325-478: The canal was more than 55% lower, and the number of times the drawbridges on the canal was opened declined by almost 70%. The report put forward a number of recommendations, one of which was fixing the flushing tunnel to increase the oxygen content of the water. In 1987, the Red Hook Treatment Plant was opened, diverting more sewage input from the canal. This $ 375 million plant collected waste from

6440-468: The canal's Fourth Street Turning Basin began in December 2016, but was delayed while bulkheads were being installed along the canal's banks. The pilot dredging uncovered several artifacts such as a crash boat from World War II ; industrial wooden bobbins for textiles; and 19th-century wagon wheels. These artifacts had to be cleaned of contaminants before archaeologists could study them. In July 2018, during

6555-413: The canal's heavy pollution, its proximity to Manhattan and upper-class Brooklyn neighborhoods is attracting concerted waterfront redevelopment. This has restarted calls for environmental cleanup , and prompted concerns that adjacent waterfront economic development would be incompatible with environmental restoration and environmental risks. It was designated a Superfund site in 2009, and work to clean up

6670-449: The canal's western bank at Second Street. The park doubles as a stormwater catchment area, absorbing pollutants before they can go into the canal. Beginning in 2017, the city's Department of Environmental Protection built several miles of high-level storm sewers (HLSS) to prevent stormwater from flooding the city's sewage system. The new storm sewers carry stormwater collected in new and existing catchment areas, preventing it from entering

6785-535: The canal, as well as government entities like the New York City government and the United States Navy. Some of these companies, such as Brooklyn Union Gas , either no longer existed, had relocated, or had been renamed. If these defunct companies have been incorporated into another company, the property owners and the parent companies were expected to take responsibility, as are the companies that created or moved

6900-762: The canal, which was essentially complete by 1869. The cost of the construction came from assessments on the local residents of Brooklyn and State money. Despite its relatively short length, the Gowanus Canal was a hub for Brooklyn's maritime and commercial shipping activity. At its busiest, as many as 100 ships a day transported cargo through it. In addition, the industrial sector around the canal grew substantially over time to include stone and coal yards; flour mills ; cement works, and manufactured gas plants ; tanneries , factories for paint, ink, and soap; machine shops ; chemical plants ; and sulfur producers. All of these industries emitted substantial water and airborne pollutants . Chemical fertilizers were manufactured along

7015-586: The channel to nearly 100 feet (30 m), was begun in April 2012. The Army Corps has recommended that most channels in the port be maintained at 50 feet deep. Dredging of the canals to 50 feet was completed in August 2016. The channels also include bridges that limit the heights of vessels that can use the harbor. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge has a clearance of 228 feet (69.5 m) at mean high water. The Brooklyn Bridge has 135 feet (41.1 m) of clearance, while

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7130-435: The channel. With the high level of development in the Gowanus watershed area, excessive nitrates and pathogens are constantly flowing into the canal, further depleting the oxygen and creating breeding grounds for the pathogens responsible for the canal's odor. Water quality measures of the concentration of oxygen in the canal were just 1.5 ppm , well below the minimum 4 ppm needed to sustain life. The canal water took on

7245-413: The city for damages related to the flooding issues that plagued the canal. By 1910, complaints were being made about the canal's water being almost solid waste, which provoked the installation of a flushing tunnel that was 12 feet (3.7 m) across. The Butler Street Pumping Station, a Beaux-Arts structure at the canal's inland end, opened on June 21, 1911. The new flushing tunnel connected to

7360-476: The city is investing in various methods of stormwater management. One related improvement has been the creation of specialized curbside gardens, or bioswales , along sidewalks to absorb stormwater and reduce sewer overflows into the canal. A community-based non-profit organization, the Gowanus Canal Conservancy , is involved in stewardship of the bioswales. In 2015, the city built Sponge Park, along

7475-451: The cleanup could pose a health risk. In early 2017, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt , who had proposed many of the EPA budget changes and program eliminations, approved of the funding, saying that Superfund cleanups should be prioritized. Work on the cleanup process began in October 2017, and at the time, the cleanup was expected to cost $ 506 million. The first phase of a pilot study at

7590-610: The construction of major highways such as the Belt Parkway , East River Drive , and Major Deegan Expressway along parts of the shoreline. After the end of World War I , the 1919 New York City Harbor Strike shut down the port for weeks. The era of the longshoreman , captured in the classic film On the Waterfront , faded by the 1970s as much of the waterfront became obsolete due to changing transportation patterns. The nation's first facility for container shipping , which became

7705-436: The contaminants are not exposed. Next, an "armor" layer of heavier gravel and stone prevents boat traffic and canal currents from eroding the underlying layers. The topmost layer comprises sufficient clean sand atop the "armor" layer, filling the gaps in the layer of stones and establishing sufficient depth to restore the canal bottom as a habitat. In the middle and upper segments of the canal, where liquid coal tar has seeped into

7820-418: The crew escaped. On May 10, 1892, the canal boat Alpha sank with a cargo of coal. On December 31, 1903, a dredge was found sunk in the canal, and an unnamed engineer/nightwatchman was reported missing and believed to be drowned. With six million tons of cargo produced and trafficked annually though the waterway after World War I , the Gowanus Canal became the nation's busiest commercial canal, and arguably

7935-486: The district. New York Harbor is one of the world's largest natural harbors . The Atlantic Ocean is to the southeast of the port. The sea at the entrance to the port is called the New York Bight ; it lies between the peninsulas of Sandy Hook and Rockaway . In Lower New York Bay and its western arm, Raritan Bay , vessels orient themselves for passage to the west into Arthur Kill or Raritan River or to

8050-504: The eastern bank, or Bryant Street on the western bank. The canal takes a north-northeasterly course from this point, running east of Smith Street. An asphalt plant and marine transfer station are located on the canal's eastern bank, as well as a Home Depot and a FedEx Shipping Center. The Gowanus neighborhood originally surrounded Gowanus Creek. It consisted of a tidal inlet of navigable creeks in original saltwater marshland and meadows that contained wildlife. The Dutch government issued

8165-752: The environment of the Gowanus area. The first major U.S. law that would allow this, a law to address water pollution, was the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948. It was followed by the establishment of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 and the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Beginning in the 1960s, locals formed the Carroll Gardens Association (CGA) to lobby for civic improvements, including cleanup of

8280-484: The existing Bond Street sewer and brought the total of combined sewer overflow (CSO) points in the city to 14. With the opening of the new plant, the last dry-weather discharge into a New York City waterway ended, and the CSO points now only function during rain storms. The next year a sewage pipe was installed within the flushing tunnel, but according to a New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) engineer,

8395-466: The first decade of the 20th century, up to 700 structures were built in South Brooklyn every year. Thriving industry brought many new people to the area, but important questions about wastewater sanitation had not been properly addressed to handle such growth. All sewage from the new buildings drained downhill and into the Gowanus. Since there was less open ground than before, rainwater now went onto

8510-473: The first land patents within Breukelen (modern-day Brooklyn), including the land of the Gowanus, from 1630 to 1664. In 1636, the leaders of New Netherland bought the area around the Gowanus Bay. In 1639, the inhabitants swapped land claims with each other to build a tobacco plantation. The area's early settlers named the waterway "Gowanes Creek" after Gouwane , sachem (chief) of the local Lenape tribe called

8625-556: The flushing tunnel broke in 1963, leading to its closure. A year later, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened, eliminating the need for industrial boats to use the canal at all, since trucks could use the bridge and Interstate 278 to ship goods from around the country to the Gowanus area. With the failure of the city sewage and pump station infrastructure, the Gowanus Canal was used as a derelict dumping place. It remained in that condition for almost three decades. By 1993,

8740-523: The harbor for the duration of American Revolutionary War , and prison ships housed thousands at Wallabout Bay . In the early 19th century, the Erie Canal (often used for grain ) and Morris Canal (mostly used for anthracite ) gave the port access to the American interior, leading to transshipment operations, manufacturing, and industrialization . The invention of the steam engine led to expansion of

8855-447: The largest ship to call at an East Coast port , passed under the raised Bayonne Bridge in July 2017. Responsibilities within the port are divided among all levels of government, from municipal to federal, as well as public and private agencies. Established in 1921, the bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , in addition to overseeing maritime facilities, is responsible for

8970-485: The local population grew, and the 19th-century industrial revolution reached Brooklyn, the need for larger navigational and docking facilities grew. Colonel Daniel Richards, a successful local merchant, advocated building a canal to benefit existing inland industries, and draining the surrounding marshes for land reclamation that would raise property values. In 1849, under a decree by the New York Legislature ,

9085-510: The long stretch of economic recession, the waters of the canal lay stagnant and under-used for years. There is an urban legend that the canal served as a dumping ground for the Mafia . Some cases are on record: news reports state that the bodies of a Brooklyn racketeer in the 1930s and a president of the Grain Handlers Union in the 1940s were found in the Gowanus Canal. In Lavender Lake ,

9200-458: The lower segment. The sediment would be treated at an off-site facility. Then, at the locations where contamination had permeated the underlying sediment, the EPA would cap the dredges with multiple layers of clean material. The multi-layer caps consist of an "active" layer made of a specific type of clay that would remove contamination that could well up from below. Atop the clay layer is an "isolation" layer of sand and gravel that will ensure that

9315-482: The main entrance to the port, at 40 feet (12 m) deep and 2,000 feet (600 m) wide. During World War II the main channel was dredged to 45 feet (14 m) deep to accommodate larger ships up to Panamax size. In 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a $ 2.1 billion dredging project, deepening harbor channels to 50 feet (15 m) in order to accommodate Post-Panamax container vessels, which can pass through

9430-550: The most polluted. The heavy sewage flow into the canal required regular dredging to keep the waters navigable. By the 1950s Brooklyn's fuel trade was already converting from coal and artificial gas to petroleum, which was served by the wider and deeper Newtown Creek , and natural gas, which arrived by pipeline . In 1951, with the opening of the elevated Gowanus Expressway over the waterway, easy access for trucks and cars catalyzed industry slightly. The expressway carried 150,000 daily vehicles, which unloaded tons of toxic emissions into

9545-712: The nation, established in 1937, on the New York side of the port; and FTZ 49, on the New Jersey side. In March 2006, some of the passenger facilities management was to be transferred to Dubai Ports World . There was considerable controversy over security and ownership by a foreign corporation, particularly one of Arab origin, of a U.S. port operation, despite the fact that the operator was British-based P&O Ports . DP World later sold P&O's American operations to American International Group 's asset management division, Global Investment Group, for an undisclosed sum. The Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey ,

9660-494: The natural sediment, the EPA would stabilize that sediment by mixing it with concrete or similar materials. The stabilized areas would then be covered with the multiple-layer caps. As the Superfund model required the EPA to seek restitution from the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), the estimated cost of the cleanup plan would be divided and distributed among more than 30 companies responsible for polluting

9775-524: The north to The Narrows . To the east lies the Rockaway Inlet , which leads to Jamaica Bay . The Narrows connects to the Upper New York Bay at the mouth of the Hudson River , which is sometimes (particularly in navigation) called the North River . Large ships are able to navigate upstream to the Port of Albany-Rensselaer . To the west lies Kill van Kull , the strait leading to Newark Bay , fed by

9890-514: The overall environment of the Gowanus wetlands area. The DEP also initiated the Gowanus Canal Use and Standards Attainment project to meet the city's obligations under the Clean Water Act. In early 2006, the problem of wastewater management arose during a controversy over a planned arena for the Brooklyn Nets in nearby downtown Brooklyn . The project, at that point called Pacific Park ,

10005-533: The pilot study, the promenade near Whole Foods was damaged due to contractor error. The cleanup itself was expected to start in 2020 and be completed two years later. The EPA issued a formal order on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, which initiated the first phase of the $ 506 million cleanup on the 1.8 mile long canal. This $ 125 million first phase would begin in September 2020 and last 30 months, though it wound up lasting 46 months ending in July 2024. On June 27, 2024,

10120-491: The pipe was so poorly installed that it failed "almost immediately". The city unsuccessfully attempted to fix the flushing tunnel's sewage pipe in 1998. It was fixed in 1999 after engineers reversed the direction of the tunnel's fan. Previously, water from the canal had gone westward into the Buttermilk Channel, but now water from the channel went into the Gowanus Canal. In 2002, the US Army Corps of Engineers entered into

10235-426: The plans was dredging, which was scheduled to begin in 2016. The second step was to lay down one of two different proposed "caps". The first "cap" proposal was for a concrete device, while the second was for a multi-layered device with pollutant-absorbent clay, a sand buffer, and an anchor composed of rocks. Ultimately, the multi-layered cap was selected for installation in the canal. However, there were concerns that

10350-476: The pollutants around. The EPA Superfund Gowanus report identified two major PRPs: National Grid (which later acquired Brooklyn Union Gas' successor KeySpan ) and the New York City government. According to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, plans to reactivate the flushing tunnel pump were proposed in 1982. Various events caused the project to be delayed until 1994. The tunnel

10465-476: The pollution by the EPA, including Brooklyn Gas and Electric, now part of National Grid and the City of New York. The EPA suggested seven plans for the cleanup. In 2014, the EPA presented a proposal for containing toxic sludge in the Gowanus Canal. The Village Voice reported two scenarios as most viable. These were estimated to take ten years to complete and would cost around $ 350–$ 450 million. The first step in

10580-437: The port, many along its straits and canals . At some locations, water pollution has led to inclusion on the list of Superfund sites in the United States . At one time, nearly 600,000 railcars were transferred annually by barge between the region's extensive rail facilities. Today, approximately 1,600 cars are "floated" on the remaining car float in the port. The New York New Jersey Rail, LLC transfers freight cars across

10695-455: The railroads and vast terminals along the western banks of the Hudson River , complemented by an extensive network of ferries and carfloats , with a large cluster along the Harlem River . The era of the ocean liner around the turn of the 20th century led to the creation of berths at North River piers and Hoboken . This coincided with the immigration of millions, processed at Castle Clinton and later at Ellis Island , some staying in

10810-552: The region with the establishment of New Amsterdam , the capital of the Dutch province of New Netherland at the tip of Manhattan . The British colonial era saw a concerted effort to expand the port in the triangular trade between Europe , Africa , and North America with a concentration of wharves along the mouth of the East River . After the Battle of Brooklyn , the British controlled

10925-407: The region's historic sites , nature reserves , and parks . The port is a port of entry . The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regulate international imports and passenger arrivals. The "green lane" program, in which trusted shippers have fewer containers inspected. There are two foreign trade zones in the port: FTZ 1, the first in

11040-596: The region, others boarding barges, ships, and trains to points across the United States . In 1910, the port was the busiest in the world. During the World Wars the waterfront supported shipyards and military installations such as the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and the Brooklyn Navy Yard and played an important role in troop transport as a Port of Embarkation . The mid-century also saw

11155-481: The region. The nine that are completely within the district are Hudson , Bergen , Essex , Union (in New Jersey), and the five boroughs of New York City, which are coterminous with the counties of New York , Bronx , Kings , Queens , and Richmond . Abutting sections of Passaic , Middlesex , Monmouth , Morris , and Somerset in New Jersey, and Nassau , Westchester , and Rockland in New York are also within

11270-399: The roofs of the buildings and down into the canal. The building of new sewer connections only compounded the problem by discharging raw sewage from farther away neighborhoods into the canal. Pollutants, storm runoff , and discharge from the sewage system combined to make the canal's malodor so disgusting it was nicknamed "Lavender Lake". Compounding the problem, area property owners sued

11385-641: The sandy bottom has been excavated down to rock and now requires blasting. Dredging equipment then picks up the rock and disposes of it. At one point in 2005, there were 70 pieces of dredging equipment working to deepen channels, the largest fleet of dredging equipment anywhere in the world. The channel of the Hudson is the Anchorage Channel and is approximately 50 feet deep in the midpoint of Upper Bay. A project to replace two water mains between Brooklyn and Staten Island, which will eventually allowing for dredging of

11500-987: The sharper channel turns. The Ambrose leads from the sea to the Upper Bay, where it becomes the Anchorage Channel. Connecting channels are the Bay Ridge, the Red Hook, the Buttermilk, the Claremont, the Port Jersey, the Kill Van Kull, the Newark Bay, the Port Newark, the Elizabeth, and the Arthur Kill. Anchorages are known as Stapleton, Bay Ridge and Gravesend. The natural depth of the harbor

11615-474: The size of the bivalves, since smaller bivalves were better adapted to the creek's water. Larger bivalves were less likely to survive, and thus, less likely to reproduce. In 1774 the Government of New York enacted a law to widen the creek into a canal, to keep the watercourse in good condition, and to levy taxes on people who used land near it. By the mid-19th century, the City of Brooklyn was quickly growing and

11730-415: The state and city levels, while the EPA would seek its funding from the polluters. The nonprofit Gowanus Canal Conservancy was also founded in 2009, creating partnerships with the EPA, the NYCDEP, groups such as Riverkeeper , and universities such as Cornell and Rutgers . On March 4, 2010, the EPA announced that it had placed the Gowanus Canal on its Superfund National Priorities List. Following this,

11845-424: The system of navigable waterways in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary , which runs along over 770 miles (1,240 km) of shoreline in the vicinity of New York City and northeastern New Jersey , and is considered one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Having long been the busiest port on the East Coast it became the busiest port by maritime cargo volume in the United States in 2022 and

11960-410: The tunnel; replace the broken sewer pipe and encase it in concrete to improve water flow; and reduce the amount of sewer overflow into the canal by increasing capacity at a nearby pumping plant". Increasing oxygen content was a major goal of the project. The original plans were modified in 2012, after Hurricane Sandy , to protect critical equipment from flooding. In 2014, following completion of much of

12075-559: The west and Nevins Street to the east. Along the way it passes bridges at Union Street, Carroll Street, and Third Street from south to north. While the Union Street and Third Street Bridges are movable bascule bridges , the Carroll Street Bridge is a retractable bridge that can be rolled diagonally to let ships through. The western bank of the Gowanus Canal hosts a boat launch at Second Street. The Second Street boat launch

12190-517: The west; Park Slope to the east; Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill to the north; and Sunset Park to the south. Seven bridges or viaducts cross the canal, carrying, from north to south, Union Street, Carroll Street , Third Street, the New York City Subway 's Culver Viaduct , Ninth Street, Hamilton Avenue, and the Gowanus Expressway . The canal was created in the mid-19th century from local tidal wetlands and freshwater streams. For roughly

12305-618: The widened Panama Canal as well as the Suez Canal . This has been a source of environmental concern along channels connecting the container facilities in Port Newark to the Atlantic. PCBs and other pollutants lay in a blanket just underneath the soil. In June 2009 it was announced that 200,000 cubic yards of dredged PCBs would be "cleaned" and stored en masse at the site of the former Yankee Stadium and at Brooklyn Bridge Park. In many areas

12420-418: The work, the tunnel was reactivated at a cost of $ 177 million. Throughout its history, the Gowanus Canal's sewage problems have been exacerbated by the effects of stormwater. For years, heavy rains have flooded streets and caused sewage lines to overflow, contributing to the canal's contamination. Much of the Gowanus Canal area is at sea level, in a Zone A risk area for flooding. To help prevent flooding,

12535-415: Was built, several designs were proposed for it. Some included lock systems that would have allowed daily flushing of the whole waterway. However, these designs were considered too expensive. After exploring numerous alternative (and some more environmentally sound) designs, the final plan was chosen for its low cost. United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Major David Bates Douglass was hired to design

12650-451: Was completed by 1893, but Brooklyn residents complained their sewage outputs were not connected to the Big Sewer. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle initially hailed the sewer's size and extent. However, the newspaper declared it an "engineering blunder" in 1898, saying the Big Sewer caused sewage to go back into the Gowanus Canal, rather than its intended purpose of draining sewage from it. During

12765-418: Was finally reactivated in 1999. The new design employed a 600 horsepower (450 kW) motor, that pumped an average rate of 200,000,000 US gallons (760,000,000 L; 170,000,000 imp gal) a day of aerated water from the Buttermilk Channel in the Upper New York Bay into the head end of the canal. Although water was circulating through the tunnel, tidal forces meant it could only be pumped 11 hours

12880-528: Was located at the present-day intersection of Union and Nevins Streets. It can be seen in drawings depicting the Battle of Brooklyn . Throughout this period, a few Dutch farmers settled along the marshland and engaged in clamming of large oysters that became a notable first export to Europe. The Gowanus Bay's 6-foot (1.8 m) tides pushed brackish water further into the creek, creating an environment where large bivalves thrived. In succeeding generations, negative artificial selection slowly reduced

12995-485: Was located north of Union Street, west of Nevins Street, and next to Bond Street. A second mill—Denton's Mill, also called Yellow Mill—was built on Denton's Mill Pond, after permission was granted to dredge from the creek to the mill pond once located between Fifth Avenue and the present-day canal at Carroll and Third Streets. On May 26, 1664, several Breuckelen residents, headed by Brouwer, petitioned Director General Peter Stuyvesant and his Council for permission to dredge

13110-420: Was the United States' third-largest city. The creek and surrounding agricultural land was now part of an urban agglomeration, consisting of villages along the creek's shores. That same shoreline of river and swamp functioned as both a transportation system and an informal sewage system for the growing city. The valley's watershed is approximately 6 square miles (16 km ) and includes drainage from what are now

13225-532: Was to include a basketball arena and 17 skyscrapers. The resulting sewage would flow into antiquated combined sewers that can overflow when it rains. The Gowanus Canal has 14 combined sewer overflow points. The fear was the additional wastewater from the arena would lead to more frequent overflows in the canal. In March 2009, the EPA proposed that the canal be listed as a Superfund cleanup site. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) supported this action. It had requested help from

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