Politics & Government

Bronx River Restoration Work in White Plains Completed

$2.4M project designed to protect embankments, wetlands areas from flooding.

Westchester has completed two restoration projects designed to ease erosion caused by flooding on the banks of the in White Plains.

“These restoration projects are part of our wide-ranging effort to control stormwater, improve water quality and address the damage caused by flooding in the county,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino.

The projects are among eight completed and pending projects within the Bronx River Parkway Reservation and three dozen countywide. The White Plains restoration projects on the east and west banks stabilized embankments and restored wetlands and parkland along the river.

Find out what's happening in White Plainswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The work was financed with $2.4 million from the federal, state and county governments. The county Department of Planning worked with other county departments, including Public Works and Transportation, and Parks, Recreation and Conservation, as well as state and federal agencies, to implement the design and construction.

On both banks, boulders and thousands of plants were used to curb erosion and improve water quality along a nearly half-mile-long section of the river at the Westchester County Center in the Bronx River Parkway Reservation. The restoration also protects county infrastructure – including the adjacent Bronx River Parkway and the Westchester County Center parking lot bridge.

Find out what's happening in White Plainswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The newly created plant buffer along the river is designed to filter and store stormwater runoff, slowly releasing it into the river channel to better control water levels and ease flooding. In addition to improving fish and wildlife habitats and filtering pollutants from stormwater runoff, the projects have also improved the appearance of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation, Astorino said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New York District contributed 65 percent of the total $1.7 million cost for the restoration of the river’s west bank. The county contributed 35 percent of the remainder through work on the project.

The $700,000 funding for the restoration of the east bank of the river was provided through a $350,000 grant from the New York State Attorney General’s Office’s Bronx River Watershed Initiative. Westchester County contributed the other $350,000.  

The Army Corps of Engineers is pleased to have been able to partner with Westchester County on this erosion control project,” said New York District Commander Col. John R. Boulé. “This work will help maintain the integrity of the Bronx River Parkway and Central Park Avenue Bridge for years to come while also protecting vital local infrastructure like utilities.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here