The Peconic Estuary is called one of the "Last Great Places" in the Western Hemisphere.
The Peconic Estuary is located 80 miles east of New York on the eastern end of Suffolk county in between the North and South Forks of Long Island. Cited by the Nature Conservancy as ‘one of the last great places in the Western Hemisphere’ the Peconic Estuary study area includes the entirety of the Peconic Estuary and the many waterways that make up the 158,000 acres of surface water as well as 125,000 surrounding acres of lace that contribute to groundwater and stormwater runoff.
While the year-round human population of the Peconic is around 162,000, the population will nearly triple in the warmer months due to a high influx of visitors and summer residents. The increased foot traffic and accompanying land-use changes have gone on to affect the Peconic Estuary in a variety of ways, from degraded water quality to habitat loss and fragmentation
In 1985, a harmful algae bloom called Brown Tide, rapidly increased and turned the waters of the Peconic Estuary brown. While the algae was harmful to humans, its high concentration for such an extended period of time led to the near collapse of the Peconic bay scallop population, in addition to several other shellfish species and eelgrass decline. These blooms raised concerns about the environmental health of the estuary and the associated economic repercussions on working waterfronts around the estuary. To address these concerns, a concerned citizenry called on governments and other stakeholders to preserve and restore the Peconic Estuary and its resources. As a result of these concerns, the Peconic Estuary became the 20th estuary in the nation to receive the designation of an “Estuary of National Significance” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 320 of the U.S. Clean Water Act.
The Peconic Estuary Program was established as a National Estuary Program (NEP) in 1992, with the goal to be a collaborative partnership of local, state, and federal governments, citizens, environmental groups, businesses, industries, and academic institutions. In 2020, our name was changed to the now Peconic Estuary Partnership, thus reflecting the commitment by all stakeholders to work together going forward to protect the surrounding estuary.
The Peconic Estuary Partnership is responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive management plan to protect the estuary. Stakeholders involved in the creation of the CCMP 2020 focuses on four main goals for the Peconic Estuary: Strong Partnerships and Engagement, Resilient Communities, Clean Waters (for ecosystem health and recreation), and Healthy Ecosystems (with abundant and diverse wildlife). These actions build on the success of work completed under PEP’s previous CCMP released in 2001, by EPA Administrator Christine Whitman with the concurrence of former New York State Governor George Pataki. These actions reflect the changing conditions in the estuary as well as advances in scientific understanding and technical capabilities.
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La Importancia del Estuario Peconic
