Comprehensive Management Plan

Implementation actions identi ed in Chapter7 address major issues in the Reserve as theyrelate to water quality and living resources,public access and open space, the Reserve’smaritime heritage, its economy, and educationand outreach. Although much has beenaccomplished since 1995 by the State and itslocal government partners through the manyClean Water Clean Air Bond Act andEnvironmental Protection Fund projects, and bythe Council’s Technical and Citizens Advisorycommittees, much remains to be done to assurethe long-term health of the Reserve.[Note to reader: An electronic version of theSouth Shore Estuary Reservecomprehensivemanagement plan, with links to the technicalreport series and associated data sets and maps,can be accessed at: www.estuary.cog.ny.us.]Chapter 1: The RegionEstuaries are coastal areas where fresh watermixes with salt water. Long Island’s SouthShore estuary was formed during the last 5,000years by the interaction of rising seas withthe glacially deposited material that makesup Long Island. The interaction shaped thebarrier islands to enclose 173 square milesExecutive SummaryVers F2 ex summof bays characterized by tidal marshes, mudand sand ats, beds of underwater vegetationand extensive shallows ranging from 1 to 7meters deep. The shallows support microscopicplants and animals which, in turn, support the n sh, shell sh, waterfowl and other wildlifethat typify the South Shore estuary. This barrier/bays system continues to respond to waveaction, the tides, coastal storms and a rising sealevel. It is also affected by human actions.The South Shore Estuary Reserve is hometo about 1.5 million people. The anchor ofthe region’s tourism, seafood and recreationindustries, the Reserve stretches from thewestern boundary of the Town of Hempstead tothe middle of the Town of Southampton. Southto north, the Reserve extends from the meanhigh tide line on the ocean side of the barrierislands to the inland limits of the mainlandwatersheds that drain into Hempstead Bay,South Oyster Bay, Great South Bay, MorichesBay and Shinnecock Bay.For purposes of planning and description, theSouth Shore Estuary Reserve is convenientlyviewed as three subregions: the western bays,Great South Bay and the eastern bays.The western bays subregion extends from thewestern boundary of the Town of Hempstead toAccess the document on the Web at http://www.estuary.cog.ny.usPage ii2-38/30/01, 11:42 AM

the Nassau-Suffolk County line, and includesHempstead Bay and South Oyster Bay andall the lands that drain into them. Theseembayments are an extensive area of shallowwater and salt marsh islands connected bychannels and tidal creeks. Its watershed is themost densely populated in the Reserve, withstormwater runoff from its developed landscapethe most signi cant source of pollution reachingthe subregion’s tributaries and bays. Coliformbacteria, responsible for the closure of 14,155acres of shell sh beds in the western baysand the periodic bathing closures of ZachsBay and Biltmore Beach, is the principalpollutant carried by the runoff, but humanwaste discharges from vessels, excrement fromwaterfowl, and discharges from municipalwastewater treatment plant outfalls in thewestern bays are also contributing sources. Thisportion of the Reserve also contains the greatestconcentration of salt marsh islands, most ofwhich have been ditched through mosquitocontrol programs.Great South Bay is the largest shallow estuarinebay in New York State, with extensive backbarrier and tidal creek salt marshes, eelgrassbeds, and intertidal ats. Most marshes in thesubregion are ditched, with many mainlandmarshes impaired by ll and bulkheads orrestrictions to tidal ow. The watershed of GreatSouth Bay can be described as “developing,” incontrast to the more fully “developed” westernbays region, and development is generally lessintense and open areas more extensive. Like thewestern bays subregion, Great South Bay hasextensive impervious surfaces in its watershed.For this reason, nonpoint source pollution fromstormwater runoff is the primary issue.Nutrients, sediment and coliform bacteria are theprincipal pollutants carried by stormwater runoffinto the subregion’s tributaries and ultimatelyGreat South Bay. Vessel waste discharges andwaterfowl are also contributors to the bacterialload. Elevated levels of coliform are responsiblefor the closure of 10,711 acres of shell shbeds in Great South Bay and the periodicAccess the document on the Web at http://www.estuary.cog.ny.usVers F2 ex summ2-3closure of three of its bathing beaches. Nutrientsand sediments in stormwater runoff threaten shing, sh propagation and sh survival inthe subregion’s tributaries and coves.Hydromodi cations - alterations of water leveland stream ow - and lowering of groundwaterlevels also have signi cant effects on sheryresources in tributaries.The shallow eastern bays - Moriches andShinnecock - are distinguished by the presenceof inlets, strong tidal exchanges between theocean and the bays, and minor in ows of lowersalinity water from the Peconics through theShinnecock Canal. Salt marshes and dredgedmaterial islands of the eastern bays supportsigni cant nesting colonies of terns, gulls, andwading birds. Shallow water areas are highlyproductive, especially the salt marshes andintertidal ats that fringe the barrier islandsand the estuarine habitats around the tributarymouths.Although the watershed of Moriches andShinnecock bays is the least developed inthe Reserve, elevated levels of fecal coliformbacteria from polluted stormwater runoff haveclosed 6,075 acres of shell sh beds in thebays. Sediment and excessive nutrients instormwater runoff have affected sh survivalin tributaries, and organic nutrients play a rolein the brown tide outbreaks in the subregion.Agriculture occurs in this subregion to somedegree, with potential impacts on water qualityfrom sediments, fertilizers and pesticides.Chapter 2: Improve andMaintain Water QualityWater quality in the South Shore EstuaryReserve is important to everyone on LongIsland. Poor water quality diminishesrecreational and economic opportunities.Nonpoint source pollution is the primary waterquality concern in the South Shore EstuaryReserve. Polluted stormwater runoff alone is theExecutive Summary8/30/01, 11:42 AMPage iii

principal source of nonpoint pollution in 48 ofthe 51 waterbody segments in the Reserve withuse impairments. Elevated levels of coliformbacteria in stormwater runoff, an indicator of thepotential presence of pathogens, are responsiblefor the closures of shell sh beds and bathingbeaches. Sediment and excessive nutrients instormwater runoff have pronounced negativeeffects on the Reserve’s living resources.Point sources of pollution - municipalwastewater treatment plants, inactive hazardouswaste sites and active and inactive solid wastedisposal facilities - are not as widespreadand are comparatively less signi cant sourcesof pollution than nonpoint sources, but stillcause water quality degradation in theirimmediate areas. Point sources are regulatedand monitored through the State PollutionDischarge Elimination System (SPDES) permitprogram.Improving water quality in the Reserve isdependent on federal, State and localgovernments, and private sector partners,implementing a strategy that: 1) identi esopportunities and develops schedules to protectlands that provide signi cant pollutantabatement functions; 2) designs and undertakesprojects that retro t existing storm sewer andother conveyance systems to remove pollutantsfrom storm water; 3) adopts nonpoint sourcepollution best management practices; and 4)increases education and outreach to modifyresident and user behavior.This chapter identi es recommendations toreduce and control nonpoint source pollution;enhance point source controls; implement theEnvironmental Protection Agency’s StormWater Phase II Final Rule; and address scienti cinformation needs.Chapter 3: Protect and RestoreLiving Resources of the ReserveThe South Shore estuary is a rich and complexecosystem. Its beaches, shallow bays, tidalmarshes, tributaries and upland areas make theReserve one of the most ecologically productiveregions in the United States. In addition toproviding the basic necessities for estuarinelife, the estuary, its shoreline and upland areasprovide open space, contribute to the scenicbeauty of the region and support its tourism,recreation and seafood industries.Human population growth and burgeoningdevelopment in the Reserve, especially sinceWorld War II, had and continues to have adramatic effect on the estuary. Most habitatloss in the Reserve has been the result of the lling of low-lying lands in the western portionof the Reserve for residential and commercialuses. Other development activities, includingconstruction of canals, roads and bridges, havealso destroyed or degraded habitats. Accordingto the NYS Department of EnvironmentalConservation 1996 Priority Waterbody List,stormwater polluted by elevated levels of fecalcoliform bacteria, excessive nutrients andsediment has affected the viability of shpopulations in the Reserve’s tributaries and hasclosed almost 31,000 acres of hard clam bedsin its bays.Regulations have slowed the loss of tidal andfreshwater wetlands in the Reserve, but theremaining wetlands present both challenges andopportunities for management and restoration.The Reserve’s open bays have also undergonenotable changes, in uenced chie y by inletdynamics, while its upland forests seem to beexperiencing a loss comparable to that of theregion’s tidal wetlands.Recommendations are offered to incorporatean ecosystem perspective into the managementof the Reserve’s living estuarine resources;to increase wetland community values; toExecutive SummaryVers F2 ex summAccess the document on the Web at http://www.estuary.cog.ny

the future health of the South Shore estuary, the New York State Legislature passed the Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve Act. The Act created the South Shore Estuary Reserve (Reserve) - Long Island’s South Shore bays and the adjacent upland areas draining to them - and called for the Reserve’s protection and prudent management.