PEP is taking action to reduce nitrogen pollution, harmful algal blooms, pathogens, toxic contaminants, and plastics in the Estuary to support the well-being of people and wildlife.
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Clean Waters for Ecosystem Health and Safe Recreation
Fishing, shellfishing, recreation, and tourism on the East End of Long Island are closely tied to the health of the Peconic Estuary. Changes in estuarine health can significantly impact the local economy. The expansion of land development and the increase in human population threaten water quality and the health of these economically important resources and habitats.
Poor water quality is directly linked to human activities on land. In the Peconic Estuary, pollution primarily originates from non-point sources such as septic systems and residential and agricultural fertilizers, rather than point sources like sewage treatment plants. This pollution enters groundwater or surface waters, which then carry it to the estuary.
One of the most serious issues affecting water quality in the Peconic Estuary is excess nitrogen loading, which can cause harmful algae blooms, low dissolved oxygen, and degraded aquatic habitats. Pathogens and toxic contaminants also contribute to water pollution in the estuary, and can make fish and shellfish unsafe to eat. New and emerging contaminants pose a continued risk to ecological and human health in our watershed. Plastics in the aquatic environment are of increasing concern because of their persistence and effect on the environment, wildlife, and human health.
Non-point source pollution is caused by stormwater runoff or polluted ground water. In the Peconic Estuary, the primary sources of non-point source pollution are wastewater from residential on-site septic systems and cesspools, followed by fertilizers and storm water runoff.
Understanding the connection between human actions on land and the health of the Peconic Estuary is crucial to its protection and restoration.
This figure shows the land area that contributes groundwater to the Peconic Estuary, and the amount of time it takes for this groundwater to reach the estuary. The groundwater contains natural and human-made pollutants.
Current Projects
Peconic Estuary Partnership provides program and project updates!
Reducing nitrogen loading to the Peconic Estuary, especially via groundwater, has been identified as a top priority for the Peconic Estuary Partnership, due to its far reaching impacts including harmful and toxic algal blooms, low dissolved oxygen and degraded aquatic habitats. The Peconic Estuary Partnership aims to reduce nitrogen loads by identifying sources of nitrogen on a subwatershed basis, and implementing management actions and projects to address these sources. PEP will also help to investigate emerging technologies as interim solutions to address existing groundwater contamination.
To implement cost effective management actions to reduce nitrogen loads to the estuary PEP has invested a great deal of staff and committee time to coordinating with our partners in New York State, Suffolk County, US EPA, and the US Geological Survey to leverage related efforts with similar goals. PEP has been heavily involved in the following efforts.
PEP looks forward to collaborating with these partners to finally make progress on the most serious problem affecting water quality on Eastern Long Island.
Current Actions
Peconic Estuary Solute Transport Model
Peconic Estuary Partnership is working with the USGS to develop a Solute Transport Model for the Peconic Estuary Watershed. Here is a link to the USGS’s workplan for the Solute Transport Model. The USGS-PEP Solute Transport Modeling Project is developing a subregional solute transport model of the Peconic Estuary ground watershed to assess the time-varying discharge of nitrogen into fresh and coastal waters within the Peconic Estuary watershed. Once the model is complete it can then be applied to run a limited set of scenarios to estimate resulting nitrogen loading rates over time. These tools will provide valuable insights into how nitrogen discharge likely will change in response to nitrogen mitigation efforts within the watershed (such as changes to wastewater and fertilizer inputs to the groundwater) to guide local, state and regional management actions.
Nitrogen Load Reduction Assessment Project
PEP is working with Anchor QEA, LLC. to compile and assess the cost per pound of nitrogen reduction to groundwater for various nitrogen reduction best management practices (BMPs) currently being employed throughout the country.
The project will provide a decision-making tool to guide cost effective management scenarios to reduce nitrogen on a subwatershed basis in the Peconic Estuary. The project is planned to be complete in the Fall 2021.
Suffolk County’s Reclaim Our Water Initiative
Peconic Estuary Partnership fully supports the Suffolk County Reclaim Our Water Initiative to roll out the Septic Improvement Grant and Loan Program to incentivize the replacement of waste treatment systems that do not adequately reduce nitrogen pollution, such as septic systems and cesspools, with innovative/alternative onsite wastewater treatment systems (I/A OWTS). Peconic Estuary Partnership fully supports the 2020 Suffolk County Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan to comprehensively transition away from reliance on conventional cesspools and septic systems, which are the primary source of nitrogen pollution in the Peconic Estuary.
Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan
The Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP)is a multiyear initiative to reduce nitrogen in Long Island's surface and ground waters by DEC, the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC), and Suffolk and Nassau counties, with input from multiple partners and stakeholders. PEP is committed to working with our partners to achieve the goals of LINAP. PEP's current projects are in alignment with LINAP goals and is conducting a social media campaign to educate the public and our stakeholders on the importance and relevance of LINAP.
Monitoring Nitrogen in the Peconic Estuary
Monitoring of nitrogen in the Pecoinc Estuary is essential for understanding the the health of the Estuary. The Peconic Estuary Partnership supports both a year-round long-term periodic water sampling program conducted by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) Office of Ecology, Bureau of Marine Resources and a continuous water sampling program conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). These programs measure nitrogen levels in the water, as well as various other water quality indicators. Since 2003, the Peconic Estuary Partnership has also been monitoring the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen in the Peconic Estuary watershed, through our participation in the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. This data helps inform nitrogen management policies and goals. Learn more about the Peconic Estuary Monitoring Programs here.
Reducing Fertilizer Use- Agricultural Stewardship
A recent initiative to reduce pollution from agriculture is the Agricultural Stewardship Plan. The mission of the Agricultural Stewardship Program is to cooperatively develop a strategy to lower nutrient and pesticide loading associated with farming to the groundwater and surface waters of Suffolk County while maintaining a strong, viable agricultural industry. Click here to view theAgricultural Stewardship Plan. PEP continues to work with numerous partners (government agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and private farmers) on a Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), titled “Agricultural Stewardship in the Peconic Estuary Watershed” to provide technical assistance and financial resources to Suffolk County farmers within the federally-designated Peconic Estuary Watershed in New York to farmers to conduct nutrient management plans and integrated pest management plans to adapt best management practices, which will improve agricultural efficiencies and protect surface and groundwater quality, soil vitality and wildlife habitat.
Reducing Fertilizer Use- Homeowner Rewards Program
Through theHomeowner Rewards Program the PEP provides financial rewards for homeowners, in neighborhoods within the Peconic Estuary Watershed, who add raingardens, native plantings, and/or rain barrels to their properties. Simultaneously, the program educates the community about the benefits of raingardens, rain barrels, and native plants for nitrogen reduction.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have plagued the Peconic Estuary since at least the mid-1980s, posing significant threats to public and environmental health. These blooms are increasingly frequent across various Suffolk County water bodies. Suffolk County’s marine waters are a crucial economic driver for Long Island, contributing to tourism, commerce, fishing, recreation, and more. Safe and attractive waters are essential for the success of these activities.
Current Actions
HAB Action Plan
PEP will focus on reducing nitrogen loading, one of the primary causes of harmful algal blooms. Additionally PEP was heavily involved in the development of the Suffolk County Harmful Algal Bloom Action Plan, to aid in understanding HABs and to help focus future actions and management strategies. PEP will work with partners to implement the management recommendations in the plan.
Contamination of Peconic Estuary waters by bacteria and other pathogenic organisms may result in the closure of beaches and shellfisheries thus impacting economic and recreational activities on the East End. At The Peconic Estuary Partnership, we are working with our partners to reduce pathogen pollution caused by stormwater runoff and wastewater pollution.
Current Actions
Subwatershed Management Plans
To decrease the amount of pollutants entering the water via stormwater we need to do our part to change what we do on land. PEP has worked to establish subwatershed management plans to address the pathogen loads to waterbodies troubled with pathogen pollution, and to date has created 12 subwatershed management plans. These plans focuses on identifying cost‐effective structural and non‐structural practices to reduce overall pollutant loadings (i.e. bacteria, sediment, nutrients) and runoff volume to the subwatershed. Successful implementation of these plans is expected to help reduce stormwater runoff pollution and improve overall water quality conditions. This should in turn improve shellfish harvesting capacity, eelgrass habitat, and degraded marsh areas. PEP is continuing to work with our partners to implement projects from these plans in the East End municipalities.
PEP established a collaboration of East End municipalities to share resources and work together on projects to reduce stormwater runoff, reduce pollution from septic system discharges, agricultural and residential fertilization, groundwater flows, illegal dumping, floatable debris and boat waste. PEP works closely with the members of the Intermunicipal Agreement through the Peconic Estuary Protection Committee. Learn more here.
PEP participates in regional Subwatershed Management efforts intended to reduce the loading of pesticides and herbicides. Some of these programs include our Agriculture Stewardship Plan, the initiatives of our PEP Citizens Advisory Committee, and the Homeowner Rewards Program.
PEP engages a variety of groups to participate in the Pesticide and Fertilize Elimination/Reduction Program. The groups could include golf courses, landscapers, municipal land owners, lawn care supply stores, environmental justice communities, and more.
PEP has also been working on various initiatives to reduce plastics in our waterways.
Current Actions
Stop Throwing Out Pollutants
PEP promotes local and regional S.T.O.P (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants)days which are designed to provide area residents with a safe, environmentally sound method of disposal of the many hazardous materials found in the average home.
PEP and the Trash Free Waters Initiative
PEP is a partner in the Plastic Free Waters Partnership which is reducing the volume of trash entering U.S. waterways through a collaboration between many organizations around the country. The Peconic Estuary Partnership is continuing to support this collaboration across the public, higher education, nonprofit and private sectors with the goal of reducing plastic and microplastic debris in all waterbodies primarily in the New York/New Jersey region. The partnership drives the latest research, policies, and education to implement strategies that protect our waters, health, and wildlife. The program focuses on: plastic bags, single-use beverage bottles, disposable take-out containers, microplastics, cigarette butts, straws, and balloons. Microbeads In 2015 Suffolk County banned micro-beads in personal care products, which went into effect on January 1st, 2018. The former Peconic Estuary Partnership Director, Alison Branco, was instrumental in gathering and assessing information about the environmental impacts of micro-beads and the logistics of banning their use, which contributed to the successful passage of the micro-bead ban bill. Plastic Bags PEP assisted Suffolk County in assessments of proposed legislation to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags. The final legislation establishes a 5 cent fee on single-use plastic bags, which went into effect in 2018.
Monofilament Fishing Line Collection and Recycling
PEP has installed monofilament fishing line receptacles at various location around the estuary to provide a place for fishermen to discard their excess fishing line and help combat marine plastic debris. PEP staff and volunteers will be responsible for collection and maintenance of the receptacles. During collection, we measure and record the receptacle weight and percentage filled to determine the amount of fishing line in each receptacle. Once collected, the fishing line will be sent to The Berkley Conservation Institute Pure Fishing, Inc. for recycling into tackle boxes, spools for line, fish habitats other products.
Here is a map of the sites where PEP and partner fishing line receptacles have been installed:
Monitoring the Estuary’s Health
PEP works with a number of partners to monitor the condition of water quality in the Peconic Estuary. We are constantly developing plans to improve our monitoring programs.
Peconic Estuary Partnership completed a Water Quality Monitoring Assessment with the assistance of CoastWise Partners, LLC.
The goal of this project was to create a Peconic Estuary Monitoring Strategy that will be relevant for all decision makers and to develop appropriate indicators of estuarine health, and ensure appropriate parameters are collected on a temporal and spatial scale to assess these indicators.
PEP held multiple workshops and Technical Advisory Committee meetings with our main water quality monitoring program partners to review current water quality monitoring programs, discuss gaps, the new CCMP goals, and develop strategies to improve monitoring programs and reporting to better track trends and progress in relation to CCMP implementation. CoastWise Partners helped guide the development of the updated monitoring strategy with the end goal of annual water quality reports.
In May of 2020, the Peconic Estuary Partnership Technical Advisory Committee recommended approval of the Peconic Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Strategy, a required element of the Peconic Estuary Partnership’s 2020 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. The Management Committee and Policy Committee approved it in June 2020 and the final document is being formally approved by the EPA and incorporated into the CCMP.
The finalized Strategy includes a summary of existing water quality monitoring programs and an assessment of whether data collected by those programs can adequately track and detect changes in water quality needed to assess progress towards CCMP Goals. The Strategy also includes Next Steps to address gaps in data and/or information needed to fully assess progress towards CCMP Goals.
The PEP has developed a Peconic Estuary Monitoring Collaborative to help advise the completion of the Next Steps from 2020 through 2023 outlined in the PEP Water Quality Monitoring Strategy.
The Collaborative will function as a sub-committee of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and is composed of main water quality monitoring programs in the Estuary- members of NYSDEC, USGS, Suffolk County, CCE, and Academic monitoring groups.
The Peconic Estuary Program Ecosystem Status Report (2015) The Peconic Estuary Program 2015 Ecosystem Status Report outlines the status and trends of thirteen environmental indicators to summarize the ecological health of the Peconic Estuary since the Peconic Estuary Program 2005 Environmental Indicators Report.
HAB Action Plan (2017) The Suffolk County Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Action Plan was completed in fall 2017. The plan describes the current state of knowledge regarding factors responsible for initiating and sustaining HABs in County waters, along with on-going environmental monitoring efforts and programs.
More Resources
Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan LINAP is a multiyear initiative to reduce nitrogen in Long Island's surface and ground waters by DEC, the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC), and Suffolk and Nassau counties, with input from multiple partners and stakeholders.
Suffolk County Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan Suffolk County took a historic step forward in ongoing efforts to better protect both groundwater and surface water through the development of a countywide wastewater upgrade strategy. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services finalized the Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan (SWP) in 2020. The SWP is a rigorous, science-based roadmap for transitioning away from reliance on conventional cesspools and septic systems, which are the primary source of nitrogen pollution that has fouled local bays.
A Reclaim Our Water initiative, the strategy documented in the Suffolk County SWP was developed in partnership with the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) and in collaboration with numerous project partners, stakeholders, and technical experts. The SWP is the product of years of intensive research, documentation, modeling, and evaluation of all of Suffolk County’s water resources and provides a parcel-specific roadmap on how to address the nitrogen crisis through wastewater upgrades and other nitrogen pollution mitigation strategies. The plan seeks to arrest and reverse the existing trend of degrading water quality over a 10 year period.
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PEP is continuing to work with our partners to implement projects from these plans in the East End municipalities.
