June 6, 2025

Study Will Look at Restoring Ecology, Improving Water Quality and Expanding Public Access Along the River

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today, along with U.S. Reps. Ritchie Torres and Adriano Espaillat, announced the secured funding for a $1 million environmental study of how to restore ecology, improve water quality, and expand public access along the Harlem River. Half of the study is being funded by DEP; Congressmen Torres and Espaillat secured the other $500,000 in federal funds through Congressional appropriations.

The study will be led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and will be worked on in partnership with DEP, which is committed to providing planning resources, ecological data, and technical expertise to expedite the study. Together, they will examine ways to use green infrastructure to restore degraded habitats, to improve water quality, to reduce flooding and add resiliency in the face of climate change. The agencies will also work with local community groups to look at ways to expand public access along the waterfront.

“Restoring the Harlem River is not just an environmental imperative—it’s an opportunity to reconnect communities with their waterfront, improve public health, and build resilience against climate change,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We’re deeply grateful to our partners, Representatives Espaillat and Torres for securing the federal funding that makes this study possible. Together, we’re improving the quality of life for New Yorkers along the Harlem River for generations to come.”

“This study complements a series of projects already underway to revitalize the Harlem River and its watershed. The results will further inform our efforts to improve water quality, restore ecology, and expand public access,” said NYC Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “We’re grateful for this partnership with Congressmen Torres and Espaillat and their leadership in bringing much-needed federal resources to this study.”

“The Harlem River has long suffered from environmental neglect and disinvestment, but today’s commitment from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection marks a crucial turning point,” said Congressman Ritchie Torres. “By pledging the $500k local match and moving forward with the feasibility study alongside the Army Corps, the City is taking a critical first step toward restoring this vital waterway for the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Congressman Espaillat and I will continue to work with our federal and local partners to ensure the Harlem River finally gets the attention and investment it deserves.”

“This critical analysis of the Harlem River will ensure that our shared efforts to revive and restore the waterway and surrounding area remain on a strong trajectory. For too long, the communities of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx have been a depository for the flow of harmful materials and an afterthought in remediation and resilience efforts,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “This historic trend decimated the environment in the area and led to inadequate public health outcomes for community in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. I commend the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Environmental Protection for taking on this work and thank Congressman Torres for his leadership and partnership.”

The Adams Administration is already actively implementing multiple water quality improvement projects within the Harlem River watershed. DEP currently has more than 20 green infrastructure projects underway within the Harlem River watershed, including the transformative $133 million Tibbetts Brook daylighting project—one of the nation's largest green infrastructure investments—which lay the successful foundation of the Harlem River Environmental Restoration Project.

As one of the most urbanized areas in the Hudson Raritan Estuary, the Harlem River is surrounded by densely populated, economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with limited access to recreational greenspace and waterfront. However, the Harlem River—a 9-mile tidal strait separating Manhattan from the Bronx, connecting the Hudson and East Rivers—was once a network of tributaries, wetlands and winding shores. It has been heavily altered by industrialization and urbanization. Today, 24 of its 25 original streams are buried. Shorelines have been hardened by development, and natural habitats have been lost. This has all lead to degraded water and sediment quality.

The first steps of the study will be to establish its scope, focusing on the sites that are most feasible and productive for ecological restoration, building upon the work of the 2016 USACE Hudson-Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Plan and the 2020 NYC Parks Harlem River Watershed Plan. To accelerate this work, DEP is already working with USACE to finalize the scope of the study.

About DEP

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing City air and noise codes and asbestos rules. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.