For those who might have missed last week's news story about the Reservoir Alliance's successful efforts to shut down the City's draining activities at the Reservoir, here's the article:

This story ran in the Monday edition of The Jersey Journal (pasted below), but an updated story is scheduled to be published later this week regarding the Reservoir Alliance's successful attempt to shut down the draining this weekend.

- historyrules

That's great - will there be the weekend tours again this year? I missed them all last year.

Cool. A future nature preserve. I love them swans!

Quote:

Congratulations! Kudos to Steve Latham, President of the Reservoir Alliance and all who were instrumental in stopping this potential disaster to the preservation of Reservoir No. 3.

While this is great news I'm sure everyone is aware that we're still not "out of the woods" yet with Mayor Healy, council persons, and the DEP so we must all remain vigilant to their trying to do irreparable harm to Reservoir No 3.

Thanks for posting, historyrules!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Draining of Jersey City Reservoir Halted

Eleven days after it began, the controversial draining of Jersey City's historic Reservoir No. 3 was halted on Sunday morning, January 28, 2006. The Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance, made up of local community and statewide environmental organizations, had feared that the draining would do irreparable harm to the Reservoir and the wildlife that thrives there.

The Reservoir, not used as an active part of Jersey City's water system since 1990, has become a unique oasis of wild flowers, trees, birds and various species of fish in the heart of the intensely urban corner of the State. Despite the fact that it is protected under New Jersey's open waters, wetlands and historic preservation regulations, there has been much local speculation that the Reservoir might be destroyed for development in the current real estate boom.

Jersey City lowered the water level to facilitate removal of 3,000 square feet of fill that it had improperly dumped in the Reservoir some years ago. But the Reservoir Alliance became very concerned when Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis had suggested that more than 85 percent of the water in the Reservoir might be drained away - far in excess of what seemed necessary to remove the relatively small amount of debris. The damage to wildlife from such a massive draining raised fears that the City's actions might cause even greater harm. Concerns were raised still further when Matsikoudis speculated about building condos in the Reservoir.

Fortunately, on Sunday morning, with only about 30 percent of the water drained off, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection instructed Jersey City to immediately halt the pump at the Reservoir now that the water level is low enough for the removal of the inappropriate fill.

The Reservoir Alliance believes that the DEP acted promptly and prudently in ensuring that only the minimum amount of water was removed, thereby preventing harm to the Reservoir's ecosystem, wildlife and abundant fish population. The episode shows the importance of the State's environmental oversight as well as the need for vigilance and
activism on the part of concerned local citizens groups.

Steve Latham, President of the Reservoir Alliance, said that "plans for the Reservoir must take into account that the site is protected by state and federal environmental laws." Latham continues, "The draining of the Reservoir was started without any communication to the Reservoir Alliance or to the public at large and with no awareness on the part of many Jersey City officials. The Reservoir is a protected historical and ecological resource for our city and state, something we hold in trust for ourselves and future generations."

The Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance, and other local residents, have been working for several years to protect this unique site. Spring and summer, the Reservoir Alliance sponsored tours, plantings, clean-ups, school projects, kayaking and other activities that allowed the public to enjoy the Reservoir as an environmental resource for the first time. The Alliance is looking forward to the continued cooperation from Jersey City in hosting a second season of such activities this year.

MORE INFORMATION AT:

http://www.jcreservoir.org/