Coney Island Creek

Coney Island Creek extends eastward 1.8 miles (2.9 km) from Gravesend Bay to Shell Road and separates the west end of Coney Island from the neighborhoods of Gravesend and Bath Beach. The west end of the creek is bordered by Coney Island Creek Park and Kaiser Park on the south side, and Calvert Vaux Park on the north side.^[5] The creek is crossed by the Cropsey Avenue and Stillwell Avenue bridges as well as two parallel rail trestles carrying the West End and Sea Beach subway lines (respectively served by the D, ​R, and ​W trains and N train). The eastern end is bordered by the Shore Parkway on the north side and Neptune Avenue on the south side. The eastern portion of Coney Island Creek runs along private industrial property and several acres formerly owned by Keyspan, the local electricity provider. The creek terminates at Shell Road where a storm sewer emerges from under the road (designated stormwater outfall CI-641 in city plans).^[6]

At the time of European settlement the land that makes up the present day Coney Island was several barrier islands with interconnecting waterways that were all constantly changing shape. Coney Island Creek was once primarily characterized by salt marshes, hardwood forests, and freshwater streams.^[3] The waterway that became Coney Island Creek did not originally extend across the back side of the island since part of the land on the west end was a peninsula called Coney Hook. Hubbard's Creek, which ran down the eastern side of the peninsula, connected directly with the ocean. In 1750 a 0.25-mile-long canal (called the "Jamaica Ditch") was dug through the Coney Hook salt-marsh from a creek connecting to Gravesend Bay east to Hubbard's creek.^[7][8] This new waterway, allowing shipping traffic to travel from Jamaica Bay to New York Harbor without having to venture out into the ocean, connected Gravesend Bay and Sheepshead Bay together.^[9][10] The waterway behind the islands was called Gravesend Creek in the early 19th century since it cut below the town of Gravesend (later the name was used interchangeably with "Coney Island Creek").^[11][12] Eventually Hubbard's and the other creeks and inlets that separated the islands were filled by a combination of natural process and land development, leaving just a single island that came to be called Coney Island and a single creek behind it that came to be called Coney Island Creek.

In August 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn took place on the distant marshy fields of Gowanus and Red Hook, where a British invasion force from Staten Island prepared to attack New York City.^[13] The landing on the beaches of Gravesend marked the beginning of the Battle of Brooklyn. This battle, also referred to as the Battle of Long Island, began the New York and New Jersey campaign, the first major armed campaign for the colonies following their Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. This battle resulted in the retreat of General George Washington and the Continental Army from Brooklyn Heights, forcing them to cross the East River and regroup in Manhattan.^[13]

Coney Island Creek was still a minimally navigable waterway over its 3-mile length through the turn of the 20th century.^[14] By the early part of the century, industries started to develop around the creek. This resulted in it becoming polluted with substances including arsenic, cyanide, and benzene. The largest polluters included the Brooklyn Yarn Dye Company and the Brooklyn Union Gas Company.^[15]

In a period from the late 19th century through the early 20th century there were plans to turn the creek into the Gravesend Ship Canal.^[16] It would re-dredge the creek into a canal running in a straight east–west line and fill all the marsh land on either side of the creek to expand the urban grid to the edge of the canal.^[14] The plan was eventually abandoned and by 1924 local land owners had filled a portion of the creek.^[17] A major section of the creek was further filled in to allow construction of the Belt Parkway in the 1930s. More fill was added in 1962 with the construction of the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge.^[18] This turned Coney Island Creek into an inlet with the western and eastern ends of the island becoming peninsulas. None of the creek remains at the eastern end. That terminus, Sheepshead Bay, has been dredged and, for the most part, enclosed in bulkheads. The path of the landfill of what used to be the creek follows Shore Parkway, Guider Avenue, and the triangular block between Neptune Avenue and Cass Place to a bulkhead at Sheepshead Bay.

A northwestern part of the creek is known as a "ship graveyard" for the dead and abandoned ships found there.^[18][19] At the southern shore of the creek, the remains of a 45 feet (14 m) yellow submarine, the Quester I, protrudes from the water. Built from salvaged metal in the late 1960s, it was never able to maintain an even keel and was abandoned.^[20] There are other leftover shipwrecks left in the creek, but their origins are somewhat unknown. They either are left over from The Battle of Brooklyn, or they are left over from when the creek was somewhat active in the 20th century.^[21] The creek is also used for performing baptisms.^[15][22]

The health and behavior of marine life in Coney Island Creek have been impacted by environmental factors and human activities in previous years. Pollution from nearby urban development has degraded water quality, leading to harmful substances lingering in the water that could affect marine life.^[23] Additionally, the creek's confined space and fluctuating tides can trap marine animals, as evidenced by the 2013 incident involving a dolphin that became disoriented and stranded.^[24] This dolphin became trapped and was found dead in the creeks waterway.^[25] Incidents like these showcase the challenges faced by marine life in adapting to their changing habitat. There is an obvious need for conservation efforts and better management of local waterways to protect these vulnerable species.^[26]

In 2016, the New York City government found that a nearby apartment complex, Beach Haven Apartments, was dumping 200,000 U.S. gallons (760,000 L; 170,000 imp gal) of sewage each day into Coney Island Creek.^[22][27] The complex was fined $400,000 two years later.^[28] By late 2016, local residents were advocating the designation of the creek as a Superfund site, which would provide funding to clean the hazardous materials from the creek. Community members testified that auto shops on nearby Neptune Avenue were still dumping cars into the creek.^[29][30] The creek was expected to undergo some minor cleanup between 2018 and 2020.^[31] By late 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was considering designating the creek as a Superfund site.^[32] In a site inspection, the EPA found toxic levels of cyanide, iron, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the sediment and surface water samples of the Coney Island Creek.^[33] However, the EPA has not yet called for an official cleanup of the creek nor designated it as a Superfund site despite the community still using the creek for recreational purposes.^[33]

In 2018, the Coney Island History Project opened an exhibition about the history of the Coney Island creek titled: "Coney Island Creek and the Natural World."^[34]

In recent years, there have been several efforts made to help restore the ecosystem of Coney Island Creek, one of which being The Billion Oyster Project. The Billion Oyster Project is a significant initiative aimed at restoring the oyster population in New York Harbor, particularly in areas like Coney Island Creek.^[35] In 2018, the Billion Oyster Project focused on Coney Island Creek for several reasons.^[36] Historically, this area was home to a thriving oyster population, representing a crucial part of New York Harbor's natural heritage. By restoring oysters in Coney Island Creek, the project aims to demonstrate that even urban environments can support healthy ecosystems.^[37] The creek has faced significant pollution and degradation over the years, and the project seeks to improve water quality through the natural filtration capabilities of oysters, helping to mitigate the impacts of urban runoff and pollutants. Additionally, Coney Island Creek provides an accessible location for local community engagement and education, encouraging schools and community members to participate in hands-on restoration activities and fostering a sense of stewardship for the environment.^[38] The diverse habitats in the creek can benefit from the introduction of oyster reefs, promoting increased biodiversity essential for the overall health of the marine ecosystem. Furthermore, Coney Island Creek is vulnerable to flooding and erosion, particularly during storms, restoring oyster reefs contributes to natural coastal protection, helping to buffer against storm surges and enhance resilience. Overall, the Billion Oyster Project's focus on Coney Island Creek reflects a commitment to environmental restoration and community involvement in a vital urban area.^[36]

In 2020, the city planned to build a NYC Ferry dock along the creek off Kaiser Park.^[39] The ferry dock would be the terminal of a new route to Pier 11/Wall Street; the route, announced in 2019, was to have begun operations in 2021.^[40][41] Local activists rallied against the dock plan, arguing it would disrupt the ecosystems of the creek.^[42] There were also concerns that the addition of ferry service would worsen pollution in the creek.^[43][44] The implementation of the Coney Island ferry route was delayed and, in mid-2022, the EDC announced that the ferry route had been postponed indefinitely. One problem was that the sand in the Coney Island Creek shifted frequently, hampering efforts to construct a ferry pier there.^[45][46] Another issue was that the creek itself was heavily polluted, and a Superfund cleanup project was being planned for the creek.^[45][47] Independent news site Hell Gate subsequently reported that test boats had repeatedly run aground in Coney Island Creek and that sand had returned to the creek after it was partially dredged in 2021.^[48][49] A ferry in Coney Island Creek also faced much opposition from the local residents who believed it would lead to additional air, water, and noise pollution and reduce safe playing area for children and families.^[50]

Despite the recent restoration efforts over the years, Coney Island Creek is still filled with litter from the surrounding urban area and continues to affect the creek to this day.^[3] Washed up along the shore line of the creek are various types of garbage including plastic bags, broken pieces of glass.^[51] Along the creek bank, dead marine creatures have been found before such as horseshoe crabs, sand crabs, and shark eggs. This continues to demonstrate the need for greater restoration projects to recover Coney Island Creek and allow this ecosystem to become flourishing habitat for its native species once again.^[51]