Lessons Learned from Community-Lead Efforts to Improve Climate Resilience in the Bronx River Watershed

Presenter: Christian Murphy, Ecology & Education Manager, Bronx River Alliance In 2010, the first Bronx River Intermunicipal Watershed Management Plan was published, focusing on habitat connectivity, restoration, and waterfront access. In the decade following the release of the plan, the Bronx River watershed began to suffer the impacts of climate change more frequently and with greater severity. It was clear that a holistic approach to addressing climate risks would be needed to protect the vulnerable watershed communities. In order to update the plan, the Bronx River Alliance convened a diverse group of stakeholders from along the full 23.5 mile length of the Bronx River including elected officials, municipal representatives, local and regional NGOs, and individual community members across Bronx and Westchester Counties. Over the course of two years, two surveys were disseminated and many meetings were held including some that catered specifically to decision makers and others that were open to the general public. The input that was gathered from these was used to distill the major concerns and top priorities from each neighborhood and municipality along the Bronx River, and culminated in a list of priority actions and recommendations to address climate risks and restoration opportunities in the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities along the Bronx River. The updated Bronx River Intermunicipal Watershed Management Plan, published in December 2024, will serve as a guidebook for the next ten years of projects and plans for the Bronx River corridor. This webinar is supported by funding from the Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, in cooperation with NEIWPCC.