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[About Us] [Annual Aurora Gareiss Awards] [Cleanup] [Exploring the Park] [History] [Map] [News] [Restoration] [In Memoriam] [Ospreys] [Photo Gallery] |
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RESTORATION OF AURORA POND
RAVINE RESTORATION PROJECT – PHASE III
Completed June, 2008
The Udalls Cove Preservation Committee (UCPC) has completed another important
step in its ongoing restoration and conservation work in the Ravine portion of
the Udalls Cove Park and Nature Preserve. During the Spring of 2008 UCPC
carryied out a restoration project in the area of the Park northeast of the
intersection of 44th Avenue and 244th Street (just north of the Douglaston
Firehouse).
Storm water runs into the Ravine from the nearby streets. Water runs down 44th
Avenue from near Zion Church, and also runs down 244th Street from the direction
of Northern Boulevard. Most of this water flows into the roadway adjacent to the
Firehouse and enters the Ravine from there. The water entering at this location
had carved a deep erosion gully in the area. The eroded sediment ended up at the
bottom of the slope in Gabler’s Creek, which runs through the Ravine and feeds
the newly restored Aurora Pond to the north.
UCPC’s restoration project involved -- (1) construction of a rock-lined drainage
swale to control erosion in this area of the Park; (2) replenishment of lost top
soil; (3) covering the new soil with wood chips; and (4) replanting the area
with native species of trees and shrubs.
This restoration project – like all of UCPC’s work in the Park – was carried out
in full cooperation and partnership with the New York City Department of Parks
and Recreation (NYCDPR), the owner of the land. The $75,000 project was
conducted by a professional landscape contractor hired by UCPC. The work was
subject to, and was carried out in conformance with the terms of a Tidal
Wetlands permit issued by the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC); and construction and forestry permits issued by NYCDPR.
The drainage swale was constructed using “rip-rap” technique, which involves the
placement of rocks of various sizes in the water course. The rocks protect the
soil below from erosion; they also slow the water as it flows downhill, allowing
sediment to settle out. There is a small percolation basin at the bottom of the
first part of the slope, which allows more sediment to settle. The drainage
swale then continues towards the east, down to Gabler’s Creek.
Prior to the start of work, the project site was overgrown with invasive species
– primarily Japanese Knotweed, Porcelainberry and Norway Maple. These were
removed to allow the swale construction and soil replenishment work to proceed.
There were a few higher quality, native trees on the site (including several
Hickory, Black Locust, Black Birch and River Birch trees) which were carefully
protected during the work. In addition, twenty new native trees (including oak,
gum, tulip and dogwood) of 2" - 3" diameter size, and 50 native shrubs
(including viburnum, chokecherry, witch hazel and bayberry) were planted. An
additional twenty new native trees will be planted in the Fall of 2008. (As is
usual in a project of this sort, a few of the newly planted trees and shrubs
have died; these will be replaced in the Fall or next Spring.)
A cobblestone entry allows storm water to flow from 44th Avenue into the new
drainage swale. To complete the project, an attractive wooden split rail fence
was installed along the adjacent roadways.
UCPC Completes Sandhill Road Guard Rail Project
April, 2007
UCPC recently completed construction of a new, wooden guard
rail along Sandhill Road near Aurora Pond. The sturdy, attractive railing
matches exactly the railing installed adjacent to the pond last year ago by the
City Parks Department as part of the Pond restoration project.
The
$48,000 project was funded in part by two $20,000 grants received by UCPC – one
from the State (secured by State Senator Frank Padavan) and the other from the
City (secured by City Council Member Tony Avella).
UCPC hired a professional contractor to install about 550 linear feet of guard
rail. The contract specifications required that the railing be identical to
several hundred feet of railing installed a year earlier by the City.
The project – like all of UCPC restoration work in the Park – was carried out
pursuant to the conditions of a permits issued by the Parks Department and the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
RESTORATION
OF AURORA POND COMPLETE!
May 19, 2006
The
project to restore Aurora Pond is complete! After nearly two years of work, the
construction fence finally came down on May 19, 2006. A “grand reopening”
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly restored pond is expected to occur within
the next two months.
Named to honor Aurora Gareiss, the legendary Queens conservationist and founder of the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee (UCPC), the pond was accidentally destroyed when it was dredged in the early 1990's. The dredging work at that time cut through a layer of clay-like soil which had allowed the pond water to collect. After it was dredged, the pond basin no longer held water, leaving it little more than a weed-choked mud puddle.
After the pond disappeared, its restoration became UCPC’s top priority. The organization worked with the NYC Parks Department and with local elected officials to secure funding and develop a viable plan. After ten years of effort by UCPC and our elected officials, work on the restoration project began in August, 2004. The pond is located on Sandhill Road (known locally as the “Back Road”) between Douglaston and Little Neck.
Prior to the early 1990's, Aurora Pond was about an acre in size, and afforded an idyllically beautiful view for passersby on Sandhill Road. In the winter, local children skated and played ice hockey on the frozen surface. In the spring and summer, the Pond was home to hundreds of toads that would “sing” at night; and to a variety of water fowl and other wildlife.
The Parks Department invited UCPC to work cooperatively on the design of the restoration project. In early 2000 UCPC submitted a detailed proposal laying out our recommended objectives and giving historical information about the size and location of the former Pond. UCPC also provided detailed comments on the draft design, and was gratified that the Department made adjustments to address our concerns.
Under
the final restoration plan, a new basin for the Pond was constructed, and its
bottom was lined with clay to replicate the original layer that kept the water
in the Pond. The clay was covered with soil, and appropriate native vegetation
was planted. Gabler’s Creek, which flows through the Udalls Cove Ravine and
past Aurora Pond, was re-routed into and through the restored Pond, assuring a
year-round flow of fresh, oxygen-rich water. Water from natural springs near
the foot of the Long Island Railroad embankment also flows into the Pond. A
viewing area adjacent to Sandhill Road, with a beautiful, rustic
Adirondacks-style railing, allows pedestrians to stop and enjoy the vista. A
series of trails allow a relaxing stroll around the pond and through this area
of the park. Native species of trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted all
around the Pond. Orange plastic fencing around the shoreline of the pond will
keep geese and ducks from eating the newly planted vegetation during the first
year; more attractive black wire fencing will serve a similar purpose for some
of the new trees and shrubs.
Additional maintenance work will be required for a number of years thereafter to ensure that the new vegetation is successfully established. UCPC will work with the Parks Department in this maintenance effort, and we look forward to welcoming back the fish, turtles, herons, egrets, ducks, muskrat, frogs, toads and salamanders that formerly lived and foraged in and around Aurora Pond.
The
Parks Department’s attempt to dredge the Pond in the early 1990's was in
response to siltation caused by decades of run-off from the steep slope to the
west and the streets above. In order to prevent the same thing happening again,
the gully down which storm water flows from Hillside Avenue into the Pond was
entirely reconstructed. The gully was lined with large rocks built into a
series of attractive terraces that form little pools and waterfalls during a
rain storm. By slowing down the water in these pools, much of the silt and sand
settles out before reaching the Pond. In fact, much of the water seeps into the
ground within the gully itself, helping to recharge the groundwater table.
As a last step in the restoration project, the 30+ year old fence that formerly separated the pond from Sandhill Road was removed. This fence, hand made by UCPC from old telephone poles, was rotting and unsightly and had collapsed in many places. It has been replaced by a sturdy and attractive wooden railing.
However, the City Parks Department had funding only to replace the phone-pole fence adjacent to the pond restoration site itself. UCPC has therefore initiated a “Fund For The Fence” campaign to raise the money needed to replicate along the remainder of Sandhill Road the fine new railing that now borders the pond. The cost is estimated at between $45,000 and $50,000. At UCPC’s annual meeting on May 6, 2006 State Senator Frank Padavan announced that he had secured a $20,000 grant in the New York State budget to serve as the cornerstone of the Fund for the Fence. Additional fund-raising efforts are under way. You can help us go –
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FROM THIS. . . |
. . . TO THIS! |
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Send
your check made out to Udalls Cove Preservation Committee to UCPC
at:
251-31 42nd Avenue, Little Neck, NY 11363. Mark it “Fund for the
Fence.”
Update: September, 2004
Thanks to years of effort by
UCPC and our elected officials, the project to restore Aurora Pond finally began
on August 9, 2004. The Pond, located on Sandhill Road (known locally as the
“Back Road”) between Douglaston and Little Neck, was accidentally destroyed when
it was dredged in the early 1990's. The dredging work at that time cut through a
layer of clay-like soil which had allowed the pond water to collect. After that
time, the basin of the Pond no longer “held water,” leaving it little more than
a weed-choked mud puddle.
After the Pond disappeared, its restoration became UCPC’s top priority. Our
organization worked with the New York City Parks Department and with local
elected officials to develop a viable plan. In 1999, former New York City
Councilman Mike Abel secured approximately $800,000 in funding to restore the
lost Pond. The money has been set aside since then, awaiting finalization of the
plans.
Prior to the early 1990's, Aurora Pond was about an acre in size, and afforded
an idyllically beautiful view for passersby on Sandhill Road. In the winter,
local children skated and played ice hockey on the frozen surface. In the spring
and summer, the Pond was home to hundreds of Fowler’s toads who would “sing” at
night; and to a variety of water fowl and other wildlife. The Pond is named
after Aurora Gareiss, the legendary Queens conservationist and UCPC’s founder.
The Parks Department invited UCPC to work cooperatively on the design of the
restoration project. In early 2000 UCPC submitted a detailed proposal laying out
our recommended objectives and giving historical information about the size and
location of the former Pond. UCPC also provided detailed comments on the initial
and final draft designs prepared by the Department’s Capital Projects office.
UCPC was gratified at the Department’s willingness to consider our
recommendations and make design adjustments to address our concerns. The result
is an excellent restoration plan, for which UCPC commends landscape architect
and project manager Marcha Johnson and her colleagues in the Parks Department.
Under the final restoration plan, a new basin for the Pond will be constructed.
The bottom of the basin will be lined with clay to replicate the original layer
that kept the water in the Pond. Gabler’s Creek, which flows through the Udalls
Cove Ravine and past Aurora Pond, will be re-routed into and through the
restored Pond, assuring a year-round flow of fresh, oxygen-rich water. A viewing
area adjacent to Sandhill road will also be created so that pedestrians can stop
and enjoy the vista. Native species of trees, shrubs and grasses will be planted
around the Pond.
The Parks Department’s attempt to dredge the Pond in the early 1990's was in
response to siltation caused by decades of run-off from the steep slope to the
west and the streets above. In order to prevent the same thing happening again,
the restoration plan includes a reconstruction of the gully down which storm
water flows from Hillside Avenue into the Pond. The gully will be lined with
rocks built into a series of attractive little pools and waterfalls. By slowing
down the water in these pools, much of the silt and sand will settle out before
reaching the Pond. Some of the water will also seep into the ground in the gully
itself, helping to recharge the groundwater table.
The restoration project is expected to take about ten months, and will require
additional maintenance work for a number of years thereafter to ensure that the
new vegetation is successfully established. UCPC will work with the Parks
Department in this maintenance effort, and we look forward to welcoming back the
herons, egrets, ducks, muskrat, frogs, toads, salamanders and turtles that
formerly lived in and used Aurora Pond
Update: January, 2003
Paradise Lost
Even as efforts to protect the marshes, woodlands and shorelines of the Udalls Cove Wildlife Preserve were bearing fruit, Aurora Pond – named for our group’s founder, Aurora Gareiss – was in trouble. It was filling up with silt that ran down with rainwater from the hilly Douglaston streets to the west. As the Pond got shallower, it held less water and was subject to drying up almost entirely during drought years. Invasive and largely unproductive Phragmites reeds – a signature of a disturbed wetland environment – crowded out cattails and other indigenous plants.
In the early 1990's the City attempted to remedy the situation by
dredging the Pond to deepen it, so it would hold more water. But this effort was a disastrous failure.
It turns out that a layer of clay-like soil several feet beneath the
surface was holding water in the Pond, somewhat like a bathtub.
While trying to deepen the Pond, the excavators broke through this layer.
It was as if the stopper in the bottom of the bathtub had been removed,
and the tub no longer held any water. Aurora
Pond soon became a mere shadow of itself, a tiny, weed-choked puddle a fraction
of its original one-acre size, and six or seven feet lower than it had been just
a few years before. Soon the banks
were overgrown, and where there had once been a charming vista from the street,
passersby can now see only trees and reeds.
UCPC Responds Once a thriving pond, now just a puddle....
The
Udalls Cove Preservation Committee committed itself to a full restoration of
Aurora Pond, and set about working with local elected officials and the City
Parks Department. The New York City
Council in Fiscal Year 2000 appropriated some $800,000 for the restoration of
the Pond and improvements to the associated wooded uplands and the so-called
Ravine area south of the railroad tracks. (Both
the Pond and the Ravine are within the Wildlife Preserve.)
UCPC was invited to work with the City Parks Department in the planning
and design of the restoration project. We
have been in close communication with Ms. Marcha Johnson, the Parks Department
Landscape Architect responsible for the project.
The Restoration Project Underway
Detailed design began in 2002. In
late May of that year, the Parks Department met with UCPC to present several
options. UCPC expressed strong
support for one of them, but recommended some additional modifications. In October, we met again with the Parks Department to review
the conceptual design for the selected alternative. We were pleased with the proposal, which provides for
diversion of water from Gabler’s Creek, soon after it emerges from the culvert
under the Long Island Rail Road tracks, into Aurora Pond. The Pond bed itself will be reconfigured.
Importantly, the bottom of the Pond will be lined with an impervious
liner covered by about a foot of soil. This
will re-establish the hydraulic barrier that was broken when the earlier
dredging work took place in about 1992. The
outflow from the Pond will return to Gabler’s Creek through another channel,
and into the culvert under Sandhill Road (the “Back Road”).
The design also provides for the installation of rocks into the gully
that leads down a steep hillside into the Pond from the bottom of Hillside
Avenue in Douglaston. That gully is
severely eroded, and is the source of much of the sediment that caused the Pond
to fill up in the past. Installation
f the rock lining, interspersed with little pools and waterfalls, will slow the
water down during a rainstorm, and allow more of the sediment to settle out
before it reaches the pond. The
rocks will also prevent the gully itself from continuing to erode.
Final design drawings are now being prepared.
Construction work is planned for 2003.
It is very important that this schedule be met.
UCPC has communicated with the City Parks Commissioner, asking him to
assign a high priority to this project. We
hope that by 2004, a restored Aurora Pond will once again take its rightful
place as the crown jewel in the Udalls Cove Wildlife Preserve, which is an
invaluable natural asset of the Douglaston/Little Neck/Great Neck community.
What You Can Do:
See NEWS for latest updates on progress of the Restoration Project.
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