Water Management Plan & EE

Gardener providing irrigation to a community garden via hose.

In recent years, measures have been implemented to mitigate the impacts of citywide droughts; however, the vast majority of community gardens in NYC still access water from nearby fire hydrants to irrigate plants and vegetables. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided funding for watershed programs. In 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program awarded more than $46 million in funding for water management to NYC community gardens. The investment will subsidize critical on-site infrastructure improvements to ease water access to more than 200 food-producing GreenThumb community gardens under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks across the city. This investment in NYC’s social infrastructure will allow thousands of volunteer land stewards citywide to grow more healthy and fresh food while providing vibrant green spaces for all New Yorkers.

Program Information

The Water Management Plan is supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). New York City has benefited since the 1940s from improvements NRCS has supported to the system of upstate watersheds and reservoirs that provide the city’s drinking water. In addition, NRCS’s programs upstate have enhanced agricultural land, thereby strengthening regional food systems.

Gardener demonstrating how to water a raised bed.

The Water Management Plan & Environmental Evaluation (EE) will create opportunities for GreenThumb gardeners in food-producing gardens to access piped water connected to New York City’s water system. These new connections will enhance the reliability and quality of water for use in GreenThumb gardens.

The Water Management Plan & EE will provide new water connections to food-producing community gardens throughout New York City. To access the grant funding, NYC Parks GreenThumb must author a Water Management Plan and Environmental Evaluation (EE), to outline the method of water delivery and potential environmental impacts that may occur during construction and implementation. The project will be executed in three phases: planning, design, then construction. In 2024, NYC Parks will completed research, hosted public participation events, and wrote a project plan to be approved by a congressional committee. The plan-EE is anticipated to be finalized in December 2025.

For a community garden to be eligible for on-site water infrastructure through the Water Management Plan & EE, it must be food-producing as of Fall 2023, within NYC Parks jurisdiction, and not have an internal water connection. All gardens that qualified were automatically considered.

Project Timeline

The Water Management Project is broken up into three phases and will be completed by the end of 2030. NYC Parks GreenThumb is currently in the planning phase.

Planning

The planning phase of the project requires the completion and federal approval of a Watershed Plan and Environmental Evaluation (EE). The Water Management Plan & EE received a Certificate to Proceed (CP) from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in January of 2024. Throughout the watershed & EE process, the project team identifies natural resource concerns with constructing water management connections to community gardens, facilitates public participation, and explores alternatives for water supply in New York City community gardens. At the end of 2025, the project team will author a comprehensive Water Management Plan & EE to undergo city, state, and federal approvals.

Design

After the Water Management Plan & EE receive all appropriate approvals, the project team will proceed to the design and construction of water management connections. The project team will reach out to all the selected community gardens to begin scoping the design of the RPZ system. The city team will determine placement and construction design through a series of contracts and drawings for the garden to approve. Once the gardener and project management reach an agreement on the design and placement of the RPZ system, the team will submit the design completions until NRCS approval. After NRCS approval, the project team will submit the designs for Office of Management and Budget’s Certificate to Proceed with construction. It is estimated this process will take two years for all community gardens selected to participate.

Construction

After receiving the Certificate to Proceed from the office of Management and Budget, the construction process will begin. Construction procedures differ by garden size, city line connections, seasons, adjacent properties and more. The garden should expect and prepare for substantial excavation of property as well as the site’s closure during construction. Activities include site protection and mobilization, excavation, erosion controls and environmental compliance, water utility service connection, as well as garden restoration. One year after completion, there is an inspection meeting to see the connection is working properly. The construction of all gardens selected for participation is estimated to take three years.

Young gardener using a hose in a community garden.

Public Scoping Meeting

The project team hosted three in-person open-house public participation meetings, with an opportunity to participate virtually. The purpose of the meetings was to identify natural resource concerns regarding on-site water infrastructure in community gardens. The participation meetings ensured all problems, opportunities, measures, plans, or effects pertaining to urban community gardens were considered.

All comments received are incorporated into the Environmental Evaluation and considered in the evaluation of the alternatives.

Participate Virtually

Participate virtually by watching the below pre-recorded project presentation. Please note the project changed from including an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to an Environmental Evaluation (EE) in Summer 2025.

Watch the pre-recorded project presentation above or on GreenThumb's YouTube page.

Follow along by downloading the Scoping Meeting Presentation transcript

En Español

Watch the pre-recorded project presentation in Spanish above or on GreenThumb's YouTube page.

Follow along by downloading Scoping Meeting Presentation transcript in Spanish

For all inquiries regarding this project, please contact gardenswatersupply@parks.nyc.gov or Project Manager Allie Smith at allison.smith@parks.nyc.gov or (917)-602-5309.