Water Equity Clearinghouse

Bronx River Alliance

The Bronx, NY
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Bronx River Alliance is a coalition of organizations that devotes itself to the protection, improvement, and restoration of the Bronx River corridor so that it can serve as an ecological, recreational, education, and economic resource for generations to come.

The Bronx area is in dire need of clean and equitably allocated resources, as it has the highest rate of unemployment in New York, is one of the poorest counties in the nation, and has some of the highest rates of obesity and asthma in the country. The Bronx River Alliance looks at the river as a resource to turn around these troubling trends to provide green jobs, greenways, open spaces, and wildlife.

Efforts to Advance Water Equity

The Bronx River Alliance has several different teams that provide volunteer opportunities, water quality monitoring experiences, and many other enriching ways to learn about the river. Among these is the Greenway Team, which helps shape plans for the Bronx River Greenway. The team is made up of agency planners, community based planners, designers, organizers, and advocates who have the best interests of the residents in mind. The Greenway, running alongside the Bronx River, is meant to serve as a link from the East River to the Kensico Dam, with parklands along the way. Open greenspace and opportunities for recreation are necessary in an area with persistent air and water pollution.

The Education Program assists teachers, community educators, and scientists in using the Bronx River as a teaching space. An especially important initiative is the Bronx River Stewards Program, which engages individuals and groups in monitoring water quality. This helps the public in understanding the real-world problems that the river faces, as well as some of the possible solutions.

DETAILS
Geographic Scale:
Neighborhood
County/Regional
Type of Organization:
Coalition/Network
Pillars:
Pillar 1
Pillar 2
Vulnerable Populations Served:
Communities of Color
Lower-income Communities
Urban