New Creek (Staten Island)
The New Creek is an urban stream on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City. The creek is fed by many natural springs in the area, which were used by the Lenape Indians before the arrival of European colonists in the 17th century. Many of the springs have been channeled underground by urban development as the population expanded throughout New York City and Staten Island.
The New Creek watershed encompasses 2,220 acres (9.0 km2) and consists of marshland which supports a variety of flora and fauna. Spartina grass flourished in a tidal wetland before the restoration of the shore and beach area and the development of a shoreline urban park by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in the 1960s, blocking tidal flow to the area.
The main channel dominates the neighborhood of Midland Beach, with the surrounding watershed covering the neighborhoods of Dongan Hills, Grant City and Todt Hill. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has embarked on a vast Bluebelt project, which incorporates most of the east and south shores of Staten Island. Some of the indigenous flora include Rose Mallow, Soft Rush, and Bladder Sedge.[1]
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