New York’s Staten Island. Our late-week soaking reprieve is a welcome relief for Conference House Park, since the drought in New York City is draining its ponds of water.
Since September, the park’s most noticeable body of water, located in Tottenville just off Bedell Avenue, has been gradually disappearing.
The left and right images show a body of water at Conference House Park on November 19, 2024 and October 25, 2023, respectively. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
The once-thriving body of water has now shrunk to a considerably smaller pond with exposed stones and mucky vegetation. On November 19, dry leaves and a few odd pieces of trash were found in the stream that flows into the pond from a bigger body of water beyond a retention wall.
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
Park visitors frequently cross the bridge that crosses the pond, either to take in the views or to continue on the trails Conference House offers.
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
The turtles that inhabit the body of water are frequently spotted sitting on fallen branches or on the embankments that encircle it. As the water evaporates, that embankment has at least doubled in size in the past two months.
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
Additionally visible was what seemed like a pipe.
The primary body of water that flows to the other two via the street is reached via a short trail on Clermont Avenue, on the opposite side of the park.
You can see uncovered earth in the center of the pool as you get closer to the wall that hangs over the body. There are leaves in the stream as well.
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
None of the 18 brushfires that have affected areas such as Historic Richmond Town, Clove Lakes Park, and Brookfield Park in the borough during the previous few weeks have affected Conference House Park.
On November 18, Mayor Eric Adams raised the drought status to the second of three categories. We are currently under a drought alert, and Adams has instructed city agencies to save water by implementing several drought practices. Additionally, he urged New Yorkers to keep up their efforts to conserve water wherever they can.
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
Conference House Park scenes. (Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance)Jillian Delaney/Staten Island Advance
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