The discovery of a mysterious bundle containing weapons in the Silver Lake Park reservoir, where water levels have been dwindling, has prompted a warning from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The gun and brass knuckles found in the reservoir basin also stirred questions about the potentially criminal history of the weapons while highlighting the environmental conditions that led to their exposure.
Here are three key things that New Yorkers need to know about the situation.
A mysterious bundle of weapons was discovered in a dry reservoir basin
An upstate man named Chris found a pistol and a pair of brass knuckles wrapped together with a rock in black electrical tape while walking in a dry basin of the Silver Lake Park reservoir.
A former Islander later identified the weapon as a .22-caliber starter pistol, which fires blanks.
The man who found the weapons speculated that despite being a starter gun, the pistol could have been used in a robbery, as a victim would not know the difference in the heat of the moment.
Pistol and brass knuckles found at Silver Lake Park reservoir.Reader submitted photo
He questioned why someone would go to the trouble of wrapping and weighing the weapons down if they weren’t used for a criminal purpose.
The DEP has issued a strong warning against trespassing in the reservoir
In response to the discovery, the DEP has cautioned the public to stay out of the newly exposed reservoir basins.
Pistol that was found wrapped in black masking tape in Silver Lake Park reservoir basin.Reader submitted photo
The department emphasized that fencing and signage are already in place to prevent trespassing and that entering the area “poses serious safety risks and could result in injury,” regardless of the water level.
Mystery bundle that was found in reservoir basin at Silver Lake Park.Reader submitted photo
The warning is aimed at urban explorers who might be drawn to the site by the receding water.
The reservoir’s low water level is due to evaporation, and it will not be refilled
The DEP stated that the reservoir’s water levels have dropped significantly due to a combination of lower rainfall and higher temperatures, which has increased evaporation.
You can tread on ground that’s usually submerged in the reservoir basins at Silver Lake Park.Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance
However, the department confirmed it has no current plans to replenish the water. Silver Lake reservoir is no longer part of New York City’s active drinking water system, and refilling it would mean sacrificing millions of gallons of potable water from the active supply.
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