What is the Beaver Dam Creek Watershed Management Plan?
When it rains, water travels
on several paths - it penetrates the soil, moves as overland flow, or passes
through a network of underground drainage pipes. Eventually, the water reaches
the nearest waterbody, such as a stream, pond or wetland. The area of land that
drains into a particular body of water is called a watershed. Protection
and restoration of watersheds contributes to improved water quality, which can
be achieved through a watershed planning process.
Recently, the South Shore
Estuary Reserve initiated the development of a watershed management plan for
Beaver Dam Creek by engaging the services of Nelson, Pope and Voorhis, LLC. The
effort is being funded by the New York State Department of State Division of
Coastal Resources using Environmental Protection Fund Title 3 funds. The plan
will build upon previous restoration efforts in the watershed. A variety of
partners are involved in development of the plan, which focuses on the
relationship between land use and land cover, the movement and storage of
water, and water quality. The watershed plan will guide partners in
managing the land and how it is used in a way that will recognize the
relationships between economic, social and natural processes, and keep drainage
pathways functional and the water that flows through them clean. Development of
the watershed management plan involves the surrounding community through
an ongoing and flexible process to address their needs for protection and
restoration of water resources.
Preparation of the Beaver Dam
Creek Watershed Management Plan is overseen by a watershed advisory committee,
whose members share responsibility in the watersheds protection and
restoration. The group is developing clear planning goals that recognize
previously completed work. The South Shore Estuary Reserve Office is organizing
this effort, working to keep all participants updated on progress of the
planning effort, gain consensus, and ensure an adequate forum for public
participation throughout the process. The following organizations are
represented on the watershed advisory committee:
·
Art Flick Chapter
of Trout Unlimited
Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Ducks Unlimited
Environmental Defense
Open Space Preservation Trust
Open Space Council
Post Morrow Foundation
Suffolk County Department of Health Services
Suffolk County Soil & Water Conservation District
Suffolk County Department of Planning
Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation
Town of Brookhaven Department of Environmental Protection
Town of
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
The
watershed management plan will contain several components:
The characterization section will describe the physical aspects of the watershed, such as topography, hydrography, sub-watersheds, soils, precipitation, land cover/land use and development trends, and habitats. This section will be informed by available data, and will identify key resource problems and issues impacting water quality.
A preventative component will assesses existing point and nonpoint source controls to identify gaps and recommend mechanisms to address these gaps, including amendments to local land and water use controls such as subdivision and site plan review regulations and changes in routine roadway, drainage-way and stream maintenance practices. Recommendations in this section will identify actions that local governments, relevant state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations need to take to protect water quality and living resources.
The corrective component will analyze
gathered information and estimate pollutant loading, and target projects and
other priority actions to remove pollutants and restore water quality. Tools
such as pollution potential models can help in determining geographic
priorities with the goal of reducing water quality and habitat impairments.
An implementation component will specify
actions to implement the preventive and corrective actions, including a
strategy for monitoring pollution reduction performance. This section will also
propose changes in institutional arrangements to coordinate implementation, and
identify steps to revise local land and water use controls to protect and
restore water quality and living resources.
By developing and implementing a watershed management plan for Beaver Dam Creek, this important local resource will be protected, and the overall quality of the stream and its surrounding habitat will improve over time. Local residents are invited to become involved by attending a public outreach meeting on March 4th at 7:00pm at the Post-Morrow Annex (see page ?), or by contacting the South Shore Estuary Reserve Office at 516-470-BAYS or sser@dos.state.ny.us to learn more about the planning process. More information about the South Shore Estuary Reserve and previous watershed management plan efforts is available at www.estuary.cog.ny.us.