2010 Stormwater Report

The Town of Oyster Bay has published their draft stormwater report, it is available on the Town of Oyster Bay website.

OB/CSH Protection Committee featured in Talk of the Town!

Update on Centre Island Property

On December 27, the Centre Island Zoning Board of Appeals denied the applicants request for several variances that would have allowed for the building of a house on an environmentally sensitive Centre Island Beach.

According to state law, three members of the five-member board have to vote in favor of the variances in order to approve them.  Because one recused himself and another has moved from Centre Island, only three members voted.  Two voted in favor of the variances.  One brave member voted against them to prevent this potentially harmful development. 

The ZBA member that acted to protect the beach said there were several factors in her decision.  She noted that the entire parcel of land is below the 12-foot elevation required by the Village of Centre Island’s building code.  She also pointed out that the proposed septic system would be built on a beach situated between Oyster Bay and a tidal wetland that is regularly flooded. 

This same ZBA member, who has lived on Centre Island for 33 years and served on the board for many years, also pointed to what appear to be inconsistencies between the plot plans that the applicant presented to New York’s Department of Conservation in his application for a wetland permit and those he sent to the Village. 

The Village Attorney noted that the applicants lot did not meet the legal requirements for Centre Island lots when it was created in the 1950s.  The Village Attorney also said he could not find any evidence that a variance was granted at that time.

It is not clear what will happen next.  The applicant has engaged a law firm that prides itself on its ability to use the court system to overcome local opposition to developing controversial projects. During the hearings that came before this week’s decision, the applicant's lawyer made it clear that they were prepared to litigate if the Village did not provide the requested variances.
 This is good news for the moment.  We will keep you apprised of changes if they occur.
 Thank you for your support. 

Christmas Greetings

All of us at Friends of the Bay wish you the best of health and happiness in 2011.  We are looking forward to an exciting and productive year, with new opportunities to protect and preserve our beautiful harbor and upland areas.  Our Watershed Action Plan will be completed in 2011. It will provide a roadmap for on the ground initiatives that will address many of the issues identified in the State of the Watershed Report.  This is a vision for the future that is being developed by the community.

Some of the programs and initiatives we are looking forward to working on include a restoration of Beekman Creek, developing an Information Resource Center, planning a Blueway Trail, fish passage projects and creation of bio-retention basins.  In addition, we will continue to monitor the water in our harbor, ponds and streams, perform beach cleanups and conduct our lecture series.

These projects will all be accomplished in partnership with local municipalities, other organizations and with support from volunteers and residents.  Friends of the Bay believes that when citizens and communities are informed and engaged in local decision making a powerful vision for the future can be developed and environmental issues can be resolved. 

Working on the Watershed Action Plan has been both a humbling and energizing experience.  I am very grateful to all of you who have come to the planning meetings, submitted comments and offered expertise and energy to this project.  You have shown yourselves to be deeply committed to your community and to protecting this beautiful part of the world. 

Concerned Citizens of Centre Island

The Concerned Citizens of Centre Island have asked us to help spread the news regarding the development of an extraordinary and environmentally sensitive property on Centre Island.  A decision on the proposed development is forthcoming from the Centre Island Zoning Board of Appeals. 

The property, located at 223 Beach Road, is a narrow piece of low-lying sandy beach at the base of Eastover Road.  It lies between one of the largest tidal wetlands on Long Island’s North Shore and Oyster Bay itself.  Despite the denial of a building permit, the owner now seeks substantial variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in order to develop this sensitive site.  The sewage system to this property would be built less than two feet underground and would be below the ten year flood elevation.  It poses a strong risk of sewage spills directly into Oyster Bay and the nearby wetland.    The Village of Centre Island’s own engineer has expressed his reluctance to allow the waiver of state and county sewage requirements.  Coastal sea rise also has to be considered, since this construction will be so close to the shoreline.  

As environmental caretakers and stewards, Friends of the Bay is deeply concerned regarding this property.   For over 20 years, Friends of the Bay has zealously protected the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor estuary.   The estuary is the cleanest of all the 13 embayments on the north shore of Long Island.  Residents and visitors can safely swim, fish and boat in these waters.  The possibility of having sewage discharges into the harbor is one which we take very seriously.    Our waters are home to an economically significant and environmentally sustainable shellfishing industry, as well as being a recreational resource for swimmers and fishermen.  The Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a home for thousands of migratory waterfowl, and has been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. 

The Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County are making a substantial investment in connecting an inadequate sewage treatment facility in Locust Valley (the Birches) to the sewage treatment facility in Glen Cove in order to remediate sewage discharages.  To allow another sewage overflow situation to possibly develop does not seem to be a wise course for the Village of Centre Island.  Friends of the Bay is not anti-development, provided that projects address environmental concerns.  Some proposals, such as the one at 223 Beach Road, are so environmentally sensitive that these concerns cannot be alleviated.  This property should be considered for acquisition and preservation.

The Concerned Citizens for Centre Island have created an online petition which can be found at www.karma411.com/concernedcitizens.   The petition, as well as more information regarding the site, can be found there. 

Mill Pond Overlook

Members of the Oyster Bay community came together in the Friends of the Bay office on the evening of November 18 to review conceptual plans prepared by Cameron Engineering for the Mill Pond Overlook property.   The plans were developed in consultation with an advisory committee which consisted of representatives from the Town Of Oyster Bay, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the North Shore Land Alliance and Friends of the Bay.    

Cameron Engineering considered the topography and ecology of the site in developing their plans.  There are some magnificent beech, tulip and black walnut trees, as well as some remnant ornamental species.   Invasive species, like Norway Maples, Asian bittersweet, and English Ivy would need to be removed.  Many bird species utilize the woods, especially during the spring and fall migrations. 

There are interesting man-made features on the property.  One of them, an old concrete pad on the lower part of the wetland may have been a cow barn at one time.  I remember seeing a picture of cows grazing on the property in the early 1900s.  If anyone has knowledge of this, or has any information on this concrete pad, your assistance would be appreciated in clarifying what purpose this served.  There is also an old chimney which has toppled over. 

There are challenges and opportunities in developing a conceptual plan.  There are steep slopes between the upper meadow and the lower edge of the property bordering the Mill Pond, as well as erosion and illegal dumping activity.  There are multiple opportunities for educational activities, and passive recreation. 

There were two conceptual plans presented by Cameron Engineering.   Both plans call for signage and educational materials which will be used to highlight ecological and historical features.  The signage would be vandal resistant, and possibly podcasts or audio walking tours could be developed to further inform visitors to the site.  A split rail fence along the lower property edge was proposed to form a boundary with the Refuge property and protect habitat, as well as a fence along the slope at the hill top for safety.  Some trees (Norway Maples) would be removed and others limbed up to allow open views to the pond and encourage understory growth.  Sufficient tree cover would be retained to prevent erosion.  The major differences in the plans are the way in which parking is designed, and the manner in which the upper meadow area is utilized.  The complete presentation, including the draft conceptual plans, can be viewed on the Friends of the Bay website at www.friendsofthebay.org.

After the presentation, attendees divided into three groups to consider the conceptual plans, comment upon them and make suggestions.  The general consensus of the group present seemed to be that the best use of the space would be for passive recreational activities and education and that “less is more.”  If you wish to submit a comment, or make a suggestion about the way in which the Mill Pond Overlook could be utilized, you may do so at Friends of the Bay’s blog, which can be reached from our website. 

Barry Lamb, President of the Board of Friends of the Bay said “It was evident that the conceptual plans presented were already very in tune with what the community had in mind for this property; low impact access that allows for the enjoyment of this beautiful area. The community members who attended offered some very insightful ideas, many of which will likely be incorporated into the final plan.”

The next step in the process is to incorporate the public comments into the draft final plan.  Comments on the Mill Pond Overlook Plan can be submitted until December 10. 

Draft Watershed Action Plan

A draft Watershed Action Plan document has been circulated to the Steering Committee. This document is not a draft of  the actual Watershed Action Plan but an outline of the plan goals, objectives, and action items as a starting point for discussion with the steering committee. 

We expect this draft to evolve based on feedback from the steering committee. Once the group reaches consensus on the goals, objectives and action items, we will begin to write the actual plan, which will be formatted similar to the Nissequogue River Stewardship Acton Plan and will also contain other items to meet the EPA nine elements - priorities, responsibilities, schedule, outcomes, load reductions, etc. We will also be developing site specific and targeted restoration concepts as the plan develops.

You may post comments on this blog, or submit them directly to me at p.aitken@friendsofthebay.org

Mill Pond Management Plan

Thank you to all who attended the mill pond overlook meeting. The comments submitted were thoughtful and well considered. For those of who were not able to be there, we have posted a copy of the presentation which was given by Cameron engineering. You may download a copy of the powerpoint presentation here - Mill Pond Overlook.  Please submit comments, we welcome your input. 

How's The Water - The Wave by Susan Casey

I seem to finally have some time to catch up on some reading.  Maybe it is that I am no longer lured outside by light, and now that the night comes early, I am more inclined to stay inside and read some of the books that have caught my attention and put on my “read later” list.

One of these books is The Wave  - in Pursuit of Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey.  This is a examination of the huge “rogue waves” that were once regarded as mariner’s tales.  Casey starts the book with describing a harrowing voyage taken by a British research ship in the North Sea.  The scientists aboard and their equipment were battered and damaged, but the equipment kept working and recorded seas at 60 feet, and some waves of 90 feet or more.  Waves of 87 feet or more were also recorded by instruments on an oil platform in the North Sea.

The two disparate groups interviewed by Casey about the phenomenon of rogue waves each bring their own insight and impressive knowledge of the sea.  Who would know and watch the sea better than competitive surfers?  They may not have scientific degrees (although at least one surfer pursued his love and wish to understand the sea better to acquire a doctorate in physics) but surfers have an ability to read the wind and the waves, and draw on their experience to judge the big waves.  They too increasingly avail themselves of satellite tracking and technology to monitor the weather and ocean currents, to know where the next big waves will be.  As if surfing were not inherently dangerous enough, the most highly competitive surfers now use jet skis to have themselves towed out to the highest and most dangerous waves, some 80 feet or more.  They all speak of the thrill and rush of successfully surfing such a wave, but when they falter the consequences are catastrophic and can be deadly.  Laird Hamilton, a champion surfer followed by Casey in her research, has had over 1,000 stitches and multiple broken bones. 

The physicists and oceanographers all seek to understand how rogue waves work.  Interestingly, there is no universally accepted description for what even a simple wave, such as we see lapping the shores in Oyster Bay harbor, is.  There are many complex forces at work, the interplay of wind, gravity, climate and physics, which make waves hard to understand, mode and define.  It is important to better understand waves, since every week at least two ships are lost at sea worldwide and never heard from again.  Rogue waves are believed to be the cause.  Casey makes an interesting visit to Lloyd’s of London, which insures so many international vessels, and describes the mournful ceremony of striking the Lutine bell every time a ship is lost.  The cost in human life is substantial, as is damage to the environment from the cargoes spilled into the ocean. 

The climatologists, oceanographers and physicists all agree that we know and understand the surface of the moon better than we know our oceans and sea floor.  They predict that with climate change there will be more rogue waves as the ocean warms, and storms become stronger and more frequent.  If a wave hits a populated area, as evidenced by the Indonesian Tsunami, the damage will be catastrophic. 

This is a very interesting and challenging book and would make a great addition to your winter reading list. 

the Public is Invited....

PUBLIC MEETING

MILL POND OVERLOOK

Habitat Management Plan

Thursday, November 18, 7-9 PM

At the offices of Friends of the Bay

111 South Street, Suite 2

Townsend Square

Oyster Bay

Join your neighbors and friends to provide input regarding the Habitat Management Plan for the Mill Pond Overlook property on Mill River Road.

The meeting will include a presentation by the Town of Oyster Bay’s

environmental planning consultants,

followed by the opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback

regarding the preliminary concepts shown in the presentation.

Book Review - Four Fish by Paul Greenberg

Four Fish – The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg is a beautifully written examination of the complexities involved in our relationship with fish as a food source.  The four fish referred to in the title are salmon, cod, tuna and sea bass.  Greenberg raises many questions – the depletion of fish stocks by overfishing to the point where the survival of species is questionable, and the practices of fish farming, which can spread disease to wild fish.  The amount of wild fish necessary to feed the fish being farmed is considerable, and depletes another stock.   He examines each of these four fish species, and the possibilities of whether or not they can be farmed. 

One of the greatest challenges posed is the very nature of the fish themselves – they roam the world’s oceans across international boundaries.  In order to protect fish stocks, nations must agree on when and where, and what methods should be used to harvest fish, if they should be harvested at all.  Greenberg makes a convincing case that it may be already too late to save bluefin tuna.  The author writes lyrically “If salmon led us out of the Neolithic caves in the highlands down to the mouths of rivers, if sea bass and other coastal perciforms led us from the safety of the shore to the reefs and rocks that surround the coasts, and if cod and the gadiforms led us beyond the sight of land to the edges of the continental shelves, tuna have taken us over the precipice of the continental shelves into the abyss of the open sea – the final frontier of fishing and the place where the wildest things are making the last argument for the importance of an untamed ocean.” 

He questions whether fish are wildlife that are sensitive to our actions and merit our sound protection and propagation in the way we take care of our terrestrially farmed animals.  For too long seafood was thought of as a crop that grows back every year and never required planting. The ocean seemed to be a limitless resource, but relentless and unsustainable industrial fish harvesting and habitat loss has taken its toll.  For example, as many as 100 million Atlantic salmon larvae hatched in the Connecticut River.  Dams and overfishing have destroyed that fishery, and there is no longer any wild Atlantic salmon

At the end of the book, Greenberg suggests four actions which need to be taken to restore the health of fisheries: 

1. a profound reduction in fishing effort.  The United Nations estimates the fishing fleet is twice as large as the oceans can support.  Fishing  fleets are subsidized by governments and consequently, wild fish are unreasonably cheap. 

2.  there should be a conversion ofsignificant portions of ocean ecosystems to no-catch areas.  Key fish breeding and nursery habitats must be preserved as safe havens if fish stocks are to rebuild harvestable numbers.  Currently, only one percent of ocean habita t is protected

3.  gloobal protection of unmanageable species – species or stocks that straddle too many nations, like Atlantic bluefin tuna is necessary

4.  protection of the bottom of the food chain.  Small forage fish like anchovies, sardines, capelin and herring, are a huge portion of fish caught. Removing the basic food source of the ocean can cause a fisheries collapse from below.

This is a marvelously written book which  raises many thoughtful and important questions.  It will be up to  us to determine how important it is to preserve the last truly wild food. 

Baywatch stayed at the dock not last week, not due to wind or weather conditions, but due to an engine malfunction.  Not the boat’s – I was in Syracuse for my niece’s wedding and my car broke down on the way to her reception.  So, I had the car towed, and spent a little time longer in Syracuse than I had planned.  Oh well, my niece and her new husband are a wonderful couple, and it was a lovely wedding, and family is what it is all about.  I’m looking forward to the next wedding already.  Our Friends of the Bay volunteers are the best, and we will be extending our season by one week to get in another round of water quality monitoring to end out our year. 

The Majestic Plastic Bag

this is an eye opening mockumentary about the migration of a plastic bag - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgh9h2ePYw

Watershed Action Plan Meeting

The next meeting for the Watershed Action Plan will be held on Wednesday, December 1, in the library of Oyster Bay High School at 7:00 pm.  Please join us there. 

The powerpoint presentation which was given at the meeting on October 12, and the survey, can be accessed through the Friends of the Bay website.  (http://www.friendsofthebay.org/)  Please take the opportunity to view the presentation.  We have received well thought out and informed responses to our survey.  This is your opportunity to voice your concerns about the watershed.  If you have not already done so, take a minute to fill it out. 

Plum Island

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Plum Island. Its a beautiful place. There are many reasons to preserve it, which are all listed on the website for the Preserve Plum Island website - http://www.preserveplumisland.org/

Watershed Action Plan Public Meeting Rescheduled - New Date, New Venue

Watershed Action Plan Public Meeting Rescheduled:  Tuesday, October 12, 7:00 pm

New Venue!  - Oyster Bay High School, 150 East Main Street, Oyster Bay

The Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary and its watershed have been facing increasing challenges in recent years.  Friends of the Bay is committed to the protection, preservation and restoration of the watershed area and is actively involved in water quality issues, watershed and wetlands conservation,  and land use planning., Research, education, community action and advocacy are at the core of FOB’s mission. 

The Steering Committee will work with the project team to identify, discuss and evaluate strategies to address the watershed management goals and objectives.  The Watershed Action Plan will be developed consistent with EPA and NYSDEC guidance for the development of watershed-based plans, which includes nine key elements that establish the structure of the plan.  These nine elements include specific goals, objectives, and strategies to protect and restore water quality; methods to build and strengthen working partnerships; a dual focus on addressing existing problems and preventing new ones; a strategy for implementing the plan; and a feedback loop to evaluate progress and revise the plan as necessary.

Friends of the Bay has received some very interesting, well considered and thought provoking responses to our survey.  If you have a few minutes, please fill it out - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/773Q8ZX. If you are planning on attending, it would be better to have your responses ahead of time. And if you cannot attend, you will still be able to have your voice heard. 

Those individuals interested in participating on the Steering Committee should be available to attend three meetings to be scheduled between September 2010 and early January 2011, and to review and provide comments on various draft project documents during the planning process.

For more information regarding the Steering Committee or to volunteer to participate in the Committee, please contact Ms. Patricia Aitken, Executive Director of FOB, at (516) 922-6666 or by email at p.aitken@friendsofthebay.org.  Please place “Steering Committee” in the subject line of the email.

Watershed Action Plan Rescheduled

The Watershed Action Plan Public Meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 12 at 7:00 pm.

CHANGE OF VENUE:  The meeting will be held in the library at Oyster Bay High School, 150 East Main Street, Oyster Bay.

Please confirm that you will be attending this meeting. 

Friends of the Bay is committed to the protection, preservation and restoration of the watershed area and is actively involved in water quality issues, watershed and wetlands conservation, and land use planning. Research, education, community action and advocacy are at the core of FOB’s mission.  We are reaching out to the community to know what concerns you have about the environment within our watershed area. 

The Steering Committee will work with the project team to develop prioritized action items and measurable goals to protect and improve the health of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor watershed and estuary. 

For more information regarding the Steering Committee or to volunteer to participate in the Committee, please contact Ms. Patricia Aitken, Executive Director of FOB, at (516) 922-6666 or by email at p.aitken@friendsofthebay.org.  Please place “Steering Committee” in the subject line of the email.

Watershed Action Plan Public Meeting Postponed

Due to the inclement weather, the Watershed Action Plan Meeting has been postponed.  Please watch the blog for a reschedule date. 

Watershed Action Plan Survey

The public is invited to attend the Watershed Action Plan Meeting on Thursday, September 30 at Christ Church, 7:00 pm.  Even if you can't make it, please take a minute to fill out a short survey Watershed Action Plan Survey.  Friends of the Bay wants to hear your voice. 

Cleanup Opportunities for September 25th

(Reprinted with permission from the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot)

Saturday, September 25 will be a very busy day in Oyster Bay.  If you wish to do hands on work and assist in cleaning up the harbor and beaches, or the land within the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary, this will be the perfect opportunity. 

Volunteers and staff from Friends of the Bay, the Oyster Bay Power Squadron, the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association, Sagamore Yacht Club, and the Town of Oyster Bay will work together to clean our harbors and bays.  Meet at the boat launch ramps in Theodore Roosevelt Park at 8:30 am.  Anyone who has participated in the Earth Day cleanups knows how satisfying it is to participate in these events, and how much is accomplished to make our bays and harbors cleaner.  There is a wonderful feeling of camaraderie between all the volunteers.  The Oyster Bay Power Squadron and Sagamore Yacht Club are sponsoring a barbecue after the cleanup for participants.

This year is a very special year, since it is the 25^th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup.  By engaging people to remove trash and debris from beaches and waterways, and identifying sources of debris, the Ocean Conservancy believes that people’s behaviors will change and the amount of marine debris will decrease.  Most marine debris is entirely preventable.  Participants will be asked to record what is picked up.  This data is compiled and a report is issued on what is picked up worldwide.  The number one item?  Cigarette butts!  They not only make humans sick, they hurt the health of our oceans and bays.  Number two?  Plastic water bottles!  Water bottles use large amounts of petroleum in the production and transportation process, and they litter our shores.  And, water from the tap costs pennies…time to think before you buy those bottles.  To register or for more information, call Jaime Van Dyke at 677-5943. 

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site will be observing National Public Lands Day on the 25 as well.   Volunteers will have an opportunity to perform a beach cleanup and remove invasive plants.  The work period will be from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm.  Meet behind the visitor center at 8:30 am.  Refreshments and snacks will be provided after the work session.  Participants over the age of 15 will receive one free admission pass to be used for a future visit to a National Park Service site or other Public Lands in the United States.  Participating Boy and Girl Scouts will receive Certificates of Participation.  No reservations are required. 

There is no charge to visit Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on September 25, 2010. Visitors will still need to obtain tickets to tour the home of the 26th president, which they should do upon arrival at the visitor center, located adjacent to the parking lot. Tours are offered on the hour, and on a first-come-first-served basis.  Visitors are encouraged to come early in the day to reserve a tour time.

And finally, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sponsoring the first nationwide prescription drug take back program.  The DEA will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction on Saturday, September 25 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.  The two nearest sites to Oyster Bay are Nassau County Police Department Second Precinct at 7700 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury and the Old Brookville Police Department at 5701 Route 25A, Glen Head.  For more sites, visit www.dea.gov. 

By disposing of prescription drugs properly, you will not only be helping preserve the health of the waters, you will be protecting your children and family.  Rates of prescription drug abuse are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overduses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.  Many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet.  From there, the drugs can enter our harbors and bays, or our drinking water supplies. 

By participating in any or all of these events, you will be rendering a very valuable service to your community, and will make a real, substantial difference in the health of our local environment.  Please come out and lend a hand!

The inclement weather kept Friends of the Bay volunteers on land on Monday.  We were hoping to be able to catch a sign of Corrigan.  We have heard no more word of “our” manatee, so we can only hope he is headed back south for warmer waters.

Watershed Action Plan Survey

Friends of the Bay (FOB) is holding our initial meeting to develop a Watershed Action Plan.  This meeting will be held on Thursday, September 30 at 7:00 in the Parish Hall of Christ Church, 61 East Main Street, Oyster Bay. 

We value your opinions, and hope you will be able to participate in a brief survey.  Please click on  this link  - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/773Q8ZX, which will take you to the survey. 

We hope to see you at the meeting! 

Upcoming Events at Friends of the Bay

The next few weeks are going to be very busy in Oyster Bay, and for Friends of the Bay - here are some upcoming events

September 25 - International Coastal Cleanup.  Join us at Theodore Roosevelt Park by the boat launch ramps at 8:30 am to participate in the 25th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup, and clean our beaches and bays!  To register to volunteer, call Jaime Van Dyke at the Town of Oyster Bay - 677-5943 to register.

September 30 - Watershed Action Plan Public Meeting - 7:00 pm at Christ Church Parish Hall, East Main Street, Oyster Bay.  Friends of the Bay is forming a steering committee to help to formulate a watershed management plan for the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary. The public is invited to participate. 

October 6, Friends of the Bay Lecture with Dr. Matt Sclafani talking about Horseshoe Crabs.  7:30 pm, Friends of the Bay Office, 2 Townsend Square, Oyster Bay

October 9 - Friends of the Bay will be speaking at the Orvis Store in Greenvale, New York, 3:00 pm

October 16 and 17 - OYSTERFEST! in Oyster Bay.  Come and celebrate our namesake food.  Volunteers are needed to help spread the word about Friends of the Bay's programs and initiatives.

November 3  - Friends of the Bay Lecture with Adam Grohman informing us about the underwater wrecks of Long Island - 7:30 pm, Friends of the Bay office, 2 Townsend Square, Oyster Bay

A Manatee in Oyster Bay?

Hows the Water - September 3, 2010

(reprinted with permission from the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot)

We seem to have had a very unusual visitor in Oyster Bay waters this Labor Day weekend.  There were multiple sightings of a manatee.  The Friends of the Bay office received voice and emails on Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend that a manatee had been seen in Mill Neck Creek.  Eric Scheblein reported that he saw the manatee in Mill Neck Creek, and that he followed the manatee as it headed out towards the Bayville Bridge, following the outgoing tide.  Another caller expressed concern for the manatee, and wanted to know who would be able to assist the animal, if it showed signs of distress. 

Dave Relyea and I went out to look for Corrigan (our nickname for the manatee, after the famous aviator, Wrong Way Corrigan) on Monday, but did not see him.  On Tuesday, during our water quality monitoring run, our volunteers looked carefully, but to no avail.  Hopefully, Corrigan is heading back towards southern waters before the water cools in Long Island sound and he gets in trouble. 

A manatee was spotted as for north as Massachusetts in 2008.  According to the website of the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program “late in September 2008…a manatee either crossed or traveled up Buzzards Bay to appear in the cold waters of Cape Cod Bay in East Dennis, MA, on the north side of Cape Cod about October 1, 2008. The Manatee could not find its way back around Cape Cod, so on 12 October a rescue was attempted by a wildlife rescue group from Florida.” Unfortunately, this manatee did not survive the trip back to Florida.  In August of 2008, a manatee was reported in Stonybook, and in 2009 one spent time at Point Judith in Rhode Island, so it is not impossible that a manatee would come to Oyster Bay.  Why not, we all know it’s a beautiful place to visit!

The waters have been very warm this summer, with temperatures nearing 80 degrees.  It is the warmest I have recorded in the years I have been doing water quality monitoring for Friends of the Bay.  Despite the warm water temperatures, the Dissolved Oxygen levels have been very good.  Without having a complete analysis done, there were very few times when the levels were below 3.5 mg/L of dissolved oxygen, and those lower levels occurred mostly in the back areas of Mill Neck Creek, or the southern end of Cold Spring Harbor.  It would seem to be an attractive habitat for a visiting manatee.  The bluefish were certainly happy – we saw quite a few jumping when doing water quality monitoring on Tuesday. 

And, just to do justice to “Wrong Way Corrigan” let me explain this brave aviator’s nickname. Douglas Corrigan was a pilot and aircraft mechanic.  He purchased an OX5 Robin monoplane and modified it for a transatlantic journey.  Corrigan applied to the government in 1935 for permission to make a flight from New York to Ireland.  He was not given permission since the federal authorities thought the plane was not capable of making the trip.  Corrigan applied several times more, but was always turned down.  By 1938 he had grown tired of waiting.  He flew from California to New York.  According to his flight plan, he was to return to California.  He took off from Floyd Bennett Field in heavy fog, and headed east.  He had been told by airport officials to head in any direction but west.  They expected him to turn west and return to California, but he kept heading east. 

Corrigan claimed that he had very poor visibility and that according to his compass he was heading west.  28 hours and 13 minutes later, he arrived at Baldonnel Airport, Dublin, Ireland.  He claimed that he had been “following the wrong end of the compass needle”.  Authorities did not believe his story about the compass, but could not make him change his explanation.  Corrigan was treated as a hero when he returned to the United States.  He was given a ticker tape parade with more than a million people watching (more than came to see Lindbergh).  He never publicly acknowledged that he intentionally flew to Ireland.  

Only the most competent and bravest pilots would attempt a transatlantic flight at the time “Wrong Way Corrigan” made his journey.  So, perhaps naming our manatee Corrigan is a fitting acknowledgement of the incredible journey he has made, far from his native waters. 

Not "our" manatee - but this one certainly looks tired from a long swim!

Hurricane Earl

Hows the Water - August 30, 2010

(reprinted with permission from the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot)

As I am writing this column, hurricane Earl is heading up the eastern seaboard, and no one is yet sure what path the storm will take, or what the impact may be.  Boaters are securing their vessels, making sure the anchorages are secure, removing sails, and in some cases pulling them out of the water.  Birders are wondering what the impact will be on the early migrants, and what rarities might be blown off course and to our shorelines. 

So where do these hurricanes come from anyway?  Hurricanes are intense tropical storms which form in the North Atlantic.  To be classified as a hurricane, wind speeds have to reach at least 74 mph.  There are certain conditions which are necessary for a hurricane to form:  80 degree or warmer water temperatures, which is at least 150 feet deep; a low pressure area with wind disturbance; a lack of stability in the air, which allows clouds to develop; a centrifugal force, known as a Coriolis Force, which stems from the earth’s rotation; moist air in the lower portion of the atmosphere, and low level winds with directional changes (wind shear).

Tropical storms form when a system of thunderstorms converge and begins to rotate in the atmosphere.  This vortex is a tropical depression.  Heat is drawn up from the ocean surface through the vortex.  Water vapor condenses to form rain around the perimeter of the vortex.  High winds are generated by energy from the heat of the ocean.  When winds reach 35 mph the system is considered a tropical storm, and is assigned a name by the National Hurricane Center.  Hurricanes are assigned categories based upon their wind speeds.  A category 3 or higher storm (wind speeds of greater than 111 mph) is a major hurricane. 

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, global warming may be making the impact of hurricanes worse.  “Sea level is rising and will continue to rise as oceans warm and glaciers melt. Rising sea level means higher storm surges, even from relatively minor storms, which increases coastal flooding and subsequent storm damage along coasts. In addition, the associated heavy rains can extend hundreds of miles inland, further increasing the risk of flooding.  Recent scientific evidence suggests a link between the destructive power (or intensity) of hurricanes and higher ocean temperatures, driven in large part by global warming.”  We can only wait to see what hurricane Earl will bring, and what other storms may form this year. 

The water in the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary is very warm, with temperatures as high as I have seen them while performing water quality monitoring for Friends of the Bay.  Friends of the Bay volunteers recorded temperatures in the 75 to 77 degree Fahrenheit range this week.  The dissolved oxygen levels appear to have reached their lowest levels for the season, and are beginning to rise again.   The DO levels were mostly at 4.0 mg/L of dissolved oxygen, which considering the extremely hot summer we have had, is quite good. 

Watershed Action Plan Public Meeting

Hows the Water - August 23, 2010

(reprinted with permission from the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot)

Friends of the Bay is pleased to announce the formation of a Steering Committee to assist in the development of a Watershed Action Plan for the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor watershed and estuary.  The plan will include measurable goals and prioritized action items that could be adopted by governmental agencies and private groups to protect and improve the health of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor watershed and estuary.  The initial meeting will be held on Thursday, September 30 at 7:00 in the Parish Hall of Christ Church, 61 East Main Street, Oyster  Bay. 

The Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary and its watershed have been facing increasing challenges in recent years.  Friends of the Bay is committed to the protection, preservation and restoration of the watershed area and is actively involved in water quality issues, watershed and wetlands conservation, and land use planning. Research, education, community action and advocacy are at the core of FOB’s mission. 

The Steering Committee will work with the project team to identify, discuss and evaluate strategies to address the watershed management goals and objectives.  The Watershed Action Plan will be developed consistent with EPA and NYSDEC guidance for the development of watershed-based plans, which includes nine key elements that establish the structure of the plan.  These nine elements include specific goals, objectives, and strategies to protect and restore water quality; methods to build and strengthen working partnerships; a dual focus on addressing existing problems and preventing new ones; a strategy for implementing the plan; and a feedback loop to evaluate progress and revise the plan as necessary.

I am so very pleased to invite the community to participate in this process.  Friends of the Bay is working to develop a forum by which residents, governmental agencies, municipalities and businesses can work together to restore and protect the ecological health of our unique watershed. It is exciting to see our efforts coming to fruition.    

Those individuals interested in participating on the Steering Committee should be available to attend three meetings to be scheduled between September 2010 and early January 2011, and to review and provide comments on various draft project documents during the planning process.

For more information regarding the Steering Committee or to volunteer to participate in the Committee, please contact me at (516) 922-6666 or by email at p.aitken@friendsofthebay.org.  Please place “Steering Committee” in the subject line of the email.

A small craft advisory and threat of heavy downpours kept the Friends of the Bay volunteers on land this past Monday.  The rain certainly was welcome, and I am confident that the rain and cooler temperatures will lead to improved dissolved oxygen readings next week when we do our water quality monitoring. 

Shark Fishing in Montauk

Hows the Water - August 16, 2010

(reprinted with permission from the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot)

On Sunday some lucky friends of Friends of the Bay took a road trip to Montauk to go fishing for sharks.  This shark fishing trip was an auction prize won by Frank Leone at the Friends of the Bay Launch the Season fundraiser, held in May.  Frank Leone, four of his friends, and myself boarded Rich Appel’s boat Journey early in the morning for a full day of fishing.  We all speculated as to how many sharks we would see, and whether we would catch anything besides sharks. 

As has happened so often during my time at Friends of the Bay, I learned so much.  The knowledge fisherman have to have about the correct bait, the way to set the lines in the water, bearing in mind the wind, current and drift of the boat, the knowledge of where sharks will most likely be, was a revelation to me.   There was much discussion regarding fishing regulations, and the plight of oceanic fish like tuna and cod, whose fishing stocks are being depleted by rampant overfishing.  Without some kind of international agreement concerning fishing limits, their future is uncertain.  Many species of sharks are also endangered, which is why our trip was strictly catch and release.  Even the hook used to catch the sharks was made to dissolve after a month or so in the water. 

As a birder, I was thrilled to be able to watch a Cory’s Shearwater, which came right up to the boat and had a great feed off of the chum being left in the water to attract sharks.  Wilson’s Petrels also followed the boat for a considerable amount of time.

A Mako shark struck the bait, and I was the lucky one who got to reel him in.  I have new respect for the strength needed to haul in a large fish.   Our shark was a young one, and it was hard for me to reel him in. I can only imagine what it would take to land a large shark, or one of the fighting fish like a marlin or a swordfish.  One day, I want to find out!

It was a great day, spent in great company.  Friends of the Bay is very fortunate to have such generous supporters, who care for and respect the marine environment. And we know how to have a good time doing it!  Frank Leone, besides being the “Best Friend of Friends of the Bay” is also the President of the Oyster Bay Historical Society.  Frank and his lovely wife Stephanie are hosting a party at their home on Saturday, August 28 to benefit the Oyster Bay Historical Society.  This is another group that knows how to have a good time in support of a good cause.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call 516-922-5032.

Back in Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor, the dissolved oxygen levels continued to be low.  This is not to be unexpected due to the hot weather, and once autumn begins the levels will begin to climb again.  We noticed many herons and egrets in Mill Neck Creek.  They gather there, and then one day, they are almost all gone, heading off to their winter home in the south.  Soon the winter ducks will be returning to the Refuge. 

The fishing crew

We called him "Chewy" - and let him go!