Bergen Basin
| Company type | Natural water body |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Queens, New York, United States |
Area served | Jamaica Bay |
| Products | Coastal tanker and sand-and-gravel barge navigation |
Bergen Basin serves as a tributary inlet to Jamaica Bay situated in Queens, New York. It lies at the northern extremity of Grassy Bay, adjacent to the western perimeter of John F. Kennedy International Airport. The airport was established on the marshlands surrounding this area in 1942. Historically, Bergen Basin was referred to as Bergen's Landing Aqueduct or Bergen Creek.
The basin spans approximately 300 to 350 feet in width and reaches depths of less than 20 feet at mean low water. Its water source includes a stream near the intersection of 131st Street and Conduit Avenue. The Jamaica Water Pollution Control Facility releases an average daily volume of 82.8 million gallons of secondary treated wastewater into Bergen Basin. Classified as estuarine subtidal open waters, the basin remains continuously flooded by tidal influences. The entrance is delineated by buoys, with prominent landmarks such as a yellow brick circular tank roughly 40 feet tall located on the southwest side, and multiple oil storage tanks positioned along the eastern shoreline. Commercial operations primarily consist of coastal tankers and sand-and-gravel barge tows navigating the basin.
In 1963, modifications to sewage treatment processes resulted in all plant effluent being discharged into the basin over a two-week period. This caused significant environmental degradation characterized by septic influent sewage and elevated hydrogen sulphide emissions. To mitigate these conditions, bulk additions of sodium nitrate and sodium hypochlorite were introduced to foster aerobic conditions and facilitate hydrogen sulphide oxidation. The following year, in 1964, unpleasant odors emanating from a two-foot sediment layer led to dredging efforts aimed at resolving the problem, which had impacted communities in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park.
A sunken vessel was reported in January 1988 within the eastern section of Bergen Basin.