Hello!

With warmer weather, there are many important environmental initiatives happening, as you will see in our newsletter below. These include a very successful installation of CCOM's floating wetlands and the start of our weekly monitoring of harmful blue-green algae in Fort Pond. Encouraging results from the Lake Montauk pump-out boat, which is key to reducing the threat of effluent discharge in Lake Montauk, and where CCOM continues comprehensive monitoring of the Lake's water quality. Work to replenish ~14,000 cubic yards of sand on Montauk’s downtown beaches in May and updates about reducing food waste and how to compost, along with new recycling guidelines.

Thanks to all who have contributed to our May Fundraising Appeal and a reminder that you can support our work by donating online.

And don't forget to purchase tickets to CCOM's third annual Summer Soirée at Gurney's Montauk on Wednesday, July 12th! We look forward to seeing you there.

Yours,

On May 21st, 50 volunteers joined us to install our floating wetlands in Fort Pond. Over 7,000 native plants were planted and secured into custom floating mats to minimize the risk of harmful algal blooms. Algae thrive when there is an excess of nutrients. As the native plants mature, their roots grow, which enables them to take up nutrients as food. As such, native plants reduce the amount of available food for harmful algae and can reduce blooms. The floating wetlands also provide habitat for fish, birds, and other animals.

This year’s installation was made possible with in-field assistance from the East Hampton Marine Patrol, East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue, East Hampton Town Shellfish Hatchery, Hampton Ice, Gurney’s, Mickey's Carting, and all our wonderful volunteers. This video showcases their dedication to the community and the future of Fort Pond. Funding for this project came from the Long Island Community Foundation.

We embrace a science-based comprehensive watershed-driven approach to reduce pollutant loadings to Fort Pond. The floating wetlands are just one piece of the puzzle. You can learn more about what we are doing to Save Fort Pond by visiting our water quality page.

CCOM, in partnership with the Gobler Lab at Stony Brook Southampton, has been monitoring blue-green algae levels in Fort Pond weekly for the past six summers. The kickoff to this year’s sampling was May 22nd.

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are microscopic organisms that naturally occur in lakes and streams. In slow-moving waters, blue-green algae can multiply and “bloom” rapidly in response to sunlight, warming temperatures, and excess nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen). These blooms can produce toxins that have been linked to acute poisoning of humans, pets, and wildlife.

We have been advocating for nitrogen-reducing septic upgrades and reduced stormwater runoff for many years. In 2021, we started the floating wetland project in Fort Pond. These combined efforts are reducing the nutrient load to Fort Pond, which will help lessen the severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). The samples we collected the past two summers show a decrease in the duration of HABs in Fort Pond.

We share our HAB monitoring results from Fort Pond and other water bodies on our social media and website. To see past and present HAB monitoring data, check out our weekly press releases HERE.

In the 1980s CCOM started the fight for improving water quality in Lake Montauk and Three Mile Harbor when bacteria levels started rising dramatically. The rise coincided with increased development and harbor use. CCOM joined forces with the Town and Harbor Association, and after several years of study and negotiation, a Federally sanctioned no-discharge zone was established in 1999. The waters within three miles of shore are now designated as No-discharge Zones by the Clean Water Act, but vessel waste has remained an issue.

The new pump-out boat that was purchased by the East Hampton Town Trustees has been a critical tool in combatting vessel pollution. After its acquisition in 2021, the yearly volume of effluent removed from boats in Lake Montauk increased by 40%, and now approximately 100,000 gallons of effluent is pumped from 2,000 boats in Lake Montauk. The pump-out boat service is available from Memorial Day through Columbus Day in Lake Montauk and Three Mile Harbor.

Decreasing vessel waste is part of our wider effort at controlling non-point source pollution including problems with stormwater runoff and outdated septic systems. This is the 10th year CCOM has been monitoring bacteria levels in Lake Montauk and Three Mile Harbor. In addition, we are partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to perform microbial source tracking in Lake Montauk. Microbial source tracking is an area of research that aims to identify the origins of microbial contamination so remedial action can be appropriately targeted. By working together, we can ensure that the waters are clean for future generations.

Earlier this month, approximately 14,000 cubic yards of sand was placed on the Montauk downtown beach as an interim measure before implementation of the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) project, the Montauk portion of which is expected to start this fall.

FIMP is projected to deliver approximately 600,000 cubic yards of ocean-dredged sand on Montauk’s downtown beach with a 4-year replenishment cycle. We continue to advocate directly with the ACOE and our elected officials for this project as an integral intermediate step in the much larger, longer-term comprehensive plan to address the coastal resiliency of our vulnerable Montauk downtown area.

Food waste has become a problem on Long Island and throughout the U.S. In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency produced a report offering a comparison of what resources go into a year of food waste in the U.S. They showed that the impacts are comparative to greenhouse gas emissions of more than 42 coal-fired power plants; enough water and energy to supply more than 50 million homes; the amount of fertilizer used in the U.S. to grow all plant-based foods for U.S. human consumption; and an area of agricultural land equal to California and New York.

The Food and Drug Administration provides tips on how to reduce food waste. Composting is one of the ways you can cut back. Change Hampton is a good resource to use if you are interested in learning how to compost.

At an East Hampton Town board work session on May 9th, a food-scrap recycling program was discussed. The mission of the program is to divert, recover and reuse 100% of the residential food scraps to create compost and return it to the soils of the Peconic Bioregion. There is a successful program in Scarsdale, NY, and Riverhead recently kicked off such a program. The Town of East Hampton is hoping to introduce a similar program later this year.

Please join us for our 3rd Annual Summer Soirée event on Wednesday, July 12th from 6-8 pm on the Spa Terrace at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, 290 Old Montauk Hwy., Montauk NY.

This fundraiser, which is open to the public, has been donated by Gurney’s; all proceeds will directly benefit CCOM’s environmental programming. Guests are invited to enjoy a rooftop ocean vista with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Have kids between the ages of 5 and 12? We've got you covered! Gurney’s Kids Club will provide a complimentary light dinner and movie during the Soiree. Please RSVP during your ticket purchase.

Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance for $125 per person, or at the door for $150, with all proceeds supporting CCOM.