Monday, November 26, 2007 In 2005 the department of parks
prepared an assessment report on the Ridgewood Reservoir. The
following is from the introduction of that report: "In 1984,
Parks established the Natural Resources Group (NRG) with a
mandate to acquire, restore and manage natural areas in New York
City. The wetlands, forests, meadows, and shorelines under NRG’s
jurisdiction provide valuable habitat for hundreds of species,
from rare wildflowers to endangered birds of prey. In addition
to the goals mentioned above, NRG serves as a clearinghouse for
technical research to aid in the protection and restoration of
the city's natural resources. This inventory of Ridgewood
Reservoir was conducted in 2005 as part of NRG’s commitment to
improving the natural areas of New York City parks. Today, the
reservoir’s outer basins are filled and completely vegetated,
while the middle basin contains a freshwater pond skirted by
reeds. Habitats in the vegetated areas include closed forest,
scrub, woodland, and vineland. R