Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
A hidden, neglected reservoir in Queens has been restored to its natural glory
By
Liam Quigley
Published Aug 26, 2026
Modified Aug 26, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Liam Quigley / Gothamist
By
Liam Quigley
Published Aug 26, 2026
Modified Aug 26, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A project to restore a secluded reservoir in one of Queens’ biggest parks highlights New York City’s changing relationship with its wetlands.
A group of restoration workers have spent the summer wading in the Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park alongside snapping turtles, lizards and fishing spiders as part of a tireless effort to remove 15,000 cubic feet of invasive plants called phragmites. The work has helped bring native wildlife and fauna back to the tranquil basin, which sits in an area of the park that’s off-limits to the public.
During the mid-19th century, the reservoir supplied drinking water to the city of Brooklyn. Now, the workers say their preservation work will help keep water off the streets in surrounding areas. That’s because healthy wetlands can act as natural sponges to blunt the impact of intense rainfall and flooding that are becoming more frequent in the city due to climate change.
“Otherwise, it would go downhill and flood the neighborhoods down the hill, mainly Cypress Hills and East New York. So this is also an incredible piece of green infrastructure,” said Matt Malina, director of the group NYC H2O that’s leading the Ridgewood Reservoir restoration work.
A 2021 report published by the parks department and Natural Areas Conservancy found that New York City’s remaining 1,100 acres of freshwater wetland play a critical role in reducing the impact of storms. The city is increasingly cultivating a system of “bluebelts,” which rely on natural waterways and wetlands to absorb rainwater and keep it out of the city’s aging sewer system. Roughly 850 acres of freshwater wetlands remain on city parkland.
Soph Hart was stoked to find a bryozoan in the reservoir.
Liam Quigley / Gothamist
New York state designated the Ridgewood Reservoir as a Class 1 freshwater wetland in 2018, meaning its three basins are permanently protected natural areas.
When the group started restoring the area about six years ago, the water’s surface was choked by phragmites, a 10-foot-tall grass that grows rapidly and is difficult to uproot.
Interns for NYC H2O like Soph Hart said their work has allowed wildlife to flourish in the park. She recently found a bryozoan — a gelatinous blob of an invertebrate — in the reservoir, which she said is a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
“ I was like rinsing off my arms earlier and I'm like, ‘What is this?’ It's so bumpy. It, like, moves,” she said.
Chris Cazares, another intern with NYC H2O, said that giant snapping turtles have become more prevalent in the waters following the work. He said one of them killed a swan earlier this summer.
“Yeah, they murked the swan. It was dead in the water,” he said.
While the basin of the reservoir remains off-limits to the public, parks department officials said they hope to one day build access paths, boardwalks and offer guided kayak tours on the water.
Tagged
new york city
parks
queens
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC says 2 more die from Upper East Side Legionnaires' outbreak, bringing toll to 11
The cluster, which has sickened 94 people since July, is the deadliest in New York City since a 2015 outbreak in the Bronx killed 17.
By
Charles Lane
Published Aug 28, 2026 at 6:54 p.m. ET
Nepali, Tibetan New Yorkers grieve the missing and dead in epic flooding
Many in the region are awaiting word on the fate of loved ones missing since tragedy struck Wednesday.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Nepali, Tibetan New Yorkers grieve the missing and dead in epic flooding
Many in the region are awaiting word on the fate of loved ones missing since tragedy struck Wednesday.
By
Arya Sundaram
NYPD seizes 580 pounds of cocaine in Queens, its biggest bust in more than a decade
By
Charles Lane
Hochul adds $36M for crime victim services after outcry, warnings of layoffs
By
Ryan Kost
NJ Transit lost nearly $4M on World Cup service, but officials say that's not so bad
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .