Sustainable Solutions

Havens Beach is Part of the Protected Water-Shed Area of the Peconic Estuary

Nowadays, there has been more than enough studies and projects to prove that green infrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provides community and environmental benefits. While single-purpose gray storm water infrastructure—conventional piped drainage and water treatment systems—is designed to move urban storm water away from the built environment, green infrastructure reduces and treats storm water at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Storm water run-off is a major cause of water pollution. When rain falls on our roofs, streets, and parking lots in cities and their suburbs, the water cannot soak into the ground as it should. Storm water drains through gutters, storm sewers, and other engineered collection systems and is discharged into nearby water bodies. The storm water runoff carries trash, bacteria, heavy metals, and other pollutants from the urban landscape. Higher flows resulting from heavy rains also can cause erosion and flooding impacting ecosystems, habitat and weakening resilience to extreme weather events and sea level rise.

Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other elements and practices to restore some of the natural processes required to manage water and create healthier environments. Green infrastructure is a patchwork of natural areas that provides habitat, flood protection, cleaner air, and cleaner water. At the neighborhood or site scale, storm water management systems that mimic nature soak up and store water.

Sag Harbor is within the estuary water shed; read about it at the Peconic Estuary Program: HERE

Solution A.

NP & V Plan
Please find the rain garden plan for Sag Harbor HERE or below.

We would like to see plans for rain gardens in areas with storm drains - for instance, behind Pierson's playing field is a number of storm drains that direct water from this area straight to Havens beach. Replacing storm drains with rain gardens in certain locations is a viable solution that would decrease the volume of storm water being directed to Havens Beach.

Please have the rain garden engineers study all the storm drains in the village as potential rain garden locations...they were NOT included in any studies! You will NOT find them here on the Water Quality Improvement Project Plan at all! We need to change this.

Sag Harbor Water-Quality-Improvement-Plan-

Solution B.

Cashin Associates plan (see below).

This is a viable plan (from 15 years ago) to attenuate nitrogen from the storm water run-off which will stop the brown tides and hypoxia that has been found in the bay. This area would also act as a buffer against storm surges and floods as wetland areas absorb water.

Click to zoom image:

Helpful Information:

Suffolk County Department of Health Services conducts water quality testing for over 190 beaches – including Havens Beach May through September. Storm water runoff is the predominant source of bacteria laden water.
The Beach Hotline number is 631-852-5822

The Harbor Committee meets monthly and is responsible for monitoring all activities and reviewing all appropriate applications and proposals which may affect Sag Harbor’s local waters. They are also responsible for making the general public aware of steps they can take to help preserve and protect local waters within the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP).

The Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network
They promote campaigns to protect our waters and run programs (Blue water Task Force) to test our local waters including Sag Harbor.

Defend H2O: an IRS registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Defend H2O was formed in June, 2014 to protect and restore the environmental quality of groundwater, surface waters, wetlands and beaches on and around Long Island. The organization's goals are achieved through scientific analysis, public education, and participation in the regulatory and legislative review of projects, programs and other actions that affect water quality and habitat values.

The Peconic Estuary Program serves to protect and restore Long Island Peconic Bays through education and local wetland restoration projects.

Reclaim our Water promotes alternative technologies for septic systems in Suffolk County to protect our groundwater. Grants are available to offset the costs of installing these new systems

Local Waterfront Revitalization Program The Local Water Revitalization Program was developed to create a land and water use plan for Sag Harbor. It is a guideline for balancing the economic development and preservation that will prevent adverse changes to the ecological systems of our waterfront.