Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Get $50M in Flood Mitigation Upgrades

Persistent Flooding in Brooklyn

• ⚠️ Brooklyn families are experiencing persistent flooding and living in fear during rainstorms.
• 🏙️ This issue has become increasingly common, prompting city leaders to address the problem.

$50 Million Flood Prevention Project

• 💰 A $50 million investment is being made by the Parks Department and Department of Environmental Protection for flood prevention in Prospect Park.
• 🗓️ The project, estimated for completion by 2032, will establish Brooklyn's first blue belt.
• 💧 A blue belt is a large-scale storm water management system designed to naturally handle significant rainfall volumes.

Addressing Root Causes of Increased Flooding

• ⏳ Flooding has worsened due to changes over the last century, including soil compaction.
• 🏞️ The original design of Prospect Park utilized natural soil infrastructure for drainage into lakes, but this has been impacted by compaction over 150 years.

Community Push and Expected Outcomes

• 💬 Community Board 14 has advocated for these measures for a decade, hoping for a noticeable difference in reduced flooding.
• 🌊 Improvements will allow the city to lower lake water levels before storms, directing drainage into the lake instead of out.
• 🌳 The project includes a new pond and rain gardens along West Drive to capture and filter storm water into the lake, preventing erosion.
• 🌟 It also involves the restoration of a pond originally planned by park designers Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux 150 years ago.