Saturday, August 14, 2010

Big stink at Springfield Park

From NBC 4:

Something stinks -- and the source of the smell could lie beneath murky waters here in the Springfield Gardens section of Queens where residents have had enough of the odor.

It's a problem that has many of the folks in the neighborhood fishing around for answers after spotting a large number of dead fish inside the waters here at Springfield Park.

Some are citing the heat as a possible reason. But Parks believes there's a lot more to it.

"We're trying to figure out what's going on," said Parks. "Did somebody spill something there? Is there a leak under the lake? But we can't get any answers from 311."

So, we put in a phone call to the New York City Parks department and quickly learned that officials there are aware of the problem and "have sent some of the fish to the Department of Environmental Conservation for testing to find out why and how they died."

3 comments:

Babs said...

aahhh - I hate to see this.

if the lake is man made - then the water lacks movement and creates fast-growing algae in the summer. This algae takes the oxygen out of the water - which is why that fish die.

This is why you see shooting fountains in man-made ponds and lakes - to keep the water moving.

They'll have to put that blue stuff for awhile to kill all the algae.

former resident said...

I think the flow of Thurston Creek through Springfield Park pond was blocked by construction to the south. The City sold some marsh land (the area is now Idlewild Park) which was filled in to build an air cargo terminal. I think (Nov. 2011) the problem was finally resolved and the creek is open all the way down to Thurston Basin on the northern border of JFK Airport

former resident said...

Thurston Creek, which ran parallel to Springfield Blvd and runs through the pond at Springfield Park south to Thurston Basin at the northern border of JFK airport, was blocked by construction of an air cargo terminal which the City sold land for.
I think (Nov. 2011) the problem was finally resolved and the creek flow restored, clearing the pond. The marsh just to the east, south of the park, is preserved as Idlewild Park. An active preservation committee is planning a kayak launching area and a ballfield.