For approximately a week, the Bronx River Estuary has taken on a reddish hue. This noteworthy color change was accompanied by a foul smell and a handful of dead crabs and fish that washed up on the shore at Hunts Point Riverside Park. Chrissy Word of Rocking the Boat reported the situation to the Bronx River Alliance as per the Spill Protocol. The problem was reported to NYS Department of Conservation (DEC) Spill Response Hotline where the operator informed Alliance staff this was a common occurrence. Chrissy Word is examining a sample to determine if it is the result of an algal bloom. The condition persisted over the weekend (see photo at left) and worsened by Monday, August 18 when Tony Archino of Rocking the Boat called to report that the river was black in color and was like nothing he’d seen during his more than six years working on the Bronx River. Alliance staff passed on the report to the DEC and were told that they would try to send someone to check it out. Allison Mass of NRG noted that Brown Tide was a problem in the Long Island Sound from 1995 – 2003 and has started to pop up again more recently. She will contact a Brown Tide-minded colleague to see about getting a Bronx River water sample tested.
loading...
