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Peconic Bay Esturary and Nutrient Over-Enrichment
Environmental Protection Agency
Condition of the Peconic Estuary and Prognosis for the Future
Fortunately, about 97% of the Peconic
Estuary is meeting environmental standards and guidelines with respect
to dissolved oxygen and nitrogen. However, due to poor tidal flushing
and high nitrogen inputs, the environmentally sensitive western estuary
is critically stressed (specifically, the Flanders Bay area including
the tidal Peconic River, Meetinghouse Creek, and East Creek in Riverhead).
Studies and monitoring suggest that nitrogen stresses may exist in Great
Peconic Bay and Little Peconic Bay and numerous tidal creeks along the
Estuary.
Aside from current documented problems and threats from existing nitrogen
loadings, there is a significant amount of land in the watershed that
can still be commercially and residentially developed, which could greatly
increase the nitrogen load to the system. Build-out estimations and computer
modeling predict that if current trends continue, the overall nitrogen
loading could increase by up to 40% and widespread water quality problems
will occur. While reducing loads from existing sources and land uses needs
to be addressed, loads from possible future development must also be taken
into account, and managed and minimized as well.
Until recently, the basis for most land use decision-making with respect
to nitrogen has been to protect groundwater
as a source of drinking water. There is now a growing body of evidence
that planning based only on achieving the drinking water standard in groundwater
will be insufficient to ensure the continued health of our estuaries.
Nitrogen management is not only an important topic for the Peconic
Estuary Watershed, but also for neighboring coastal waters in the
Peconic Region, including Long Island Sound and Long Island's South Shore
Estuary System.
Reducing the Nutrient Loadings
The Peconic Estuary Program is leading and participating in both regulatory and non-regulatory programs efforts to limit and reduce nitrogen loads, including:
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Working cooperatively with the 34 golf courses east of the William Floyd Parkway to reduce the amount of nitrogen that makes its way into groundwater and surface waters through improved management practices. (News Release: East End Long Island Golf Courses Pledge to Reduce Fertilizer Use)
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Imposing limits on nutrient discharges from the major sewage treatment plants in the Estuary, and securing funding to construct treatment systems to remove nitrogen at publicly owned facilities;
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Supporting open space acquisition programs at all levels of government, and recommending that parcels of land in nitrogen stressed sub-watersheds be priorities for acquisition;
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Working with the agricultural community and the Farm Bureau to reach an agreement which sets, as a goal, reducing the nitrogen load from agriculture by 25% and working to secure funding to develop and implement the necessary farm plans to achieve that goal;
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Supporting using the effluent from the Riverhead Sewage Treatment Plan to irrigate and "fertigate" the County-owned Indian Island Golf Course, and supporting the allocation of funding to pilot test and fully implement this project;
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Working with the Association of Marine Industries to secure a Vessel Waste No Discharge Zone designation for the entire Peconic Estuary to eliminate this pollution source, and working with marine engine retailers to encourage boaters to purchase low emission/clean marine engines that are now on the market;
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Supporting the construction of a treatment plant at the Corwin Duck Farm on Meetinghouse Creek to treat processing waters from that operation;
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Working with governments at all levels to implement projects to reduce direct stormwater inputs from road and highway drainage systems;
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Investigating opportunities to reduce nutrient loadings from on-site wastewater disposal systems ("septic systems" or "cesspools"), such as advanced treatment and micro-sewering, and pursuing feasible innovations and alternatives;
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Planned efforts to reduce impacts associated with landscaping practices on residential, commercial, and public properties (i.e., eliminating or reducing fertilizer inputs) by working with property owners/managers and commercial landscapers;
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Fully investigating other opportunities to reduce, manage or otherwise understand other nutrient inputs (i.e., wet and dry atmospheric deposition; in-place nutrient enriched bottom sediments).
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