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Bronx Swamp Gets Drained
By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 3, 2009
Modified Sep 3, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 3, 2009
Modified Sep 3, 2009
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The Bronx swamp's green water is glowing because the Department of Environmental Protection put dye in it to figure out where the water was coming from, NY1 reports. The waterway formed over abandoned freight train tracks, but it's nowhere near as glamorous as the High Line. The sanitation department has been cleaning out the trash, and the network reports that on August 22nd the city starting pumping out the water, even though they still don't know who owns the property. Locals seem to be happy with the progress, and one told them, "I am still getting bitten by mosquitoes, because as they clean it there are still mosquitoes. But it is getting cleaner now." The city is researching putting a drainage system in; as for the mystery of where the water is coming from, one man says, "There in that tunnel, I remember when I walked under there was running water on the walls. I believe it could be a river or a natural stream that actually may be running and pouring water in. The water was clean, crystal clear. As they were pumping it out, it became more and more clear."
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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