The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is collaborating with the New York Department of State (NYDOS) Office of Planning and Development to prepare a new Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Coordinated Water Resources Monitoring Strategy (CWRMS). Since 2000, when the last CWRMS was published, numerous research projects and studies are demonstrating several new threats to the ecologic health and resilience of the SSER. Contemporary threats include:
- Eutrophic conditions brought on by high levels of nutrients from sewage treatment plant discharges, stormwater runoff, groundwater seepage, and atmospheric contributions;
- Increased occurrences of harmful algal blooms in the past 15 years; and,
- Growing concern over rising sea levels, more intense coastal storms, and associated damage to the coast.
The USGS is reviewing and summarizing relevant SSER reports and environmental data from available sources including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the six SSER towns, research and educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The final product will include an SSER CWRMS website that will direct researchers, stakeholders, and the public to SSER-relevant documents and monitoring data. To easily access data, the website will include an interactive mapper that aggregates available data from government agencies, educational institutions, stakeholders, and citizen scientists that are stored in various databases (e.g. EPA Storage and Retrieval [STORET], USGS National Water Information System [NWIS]).
In accordance with its mission, USGS is providing technical expertise and policy-neutral information to the NYDOS, SSER Council, and local stakeholders to advance knowledge about threats to the integrity of SSER and assist in efforts to improve the health, resilience, and economic viability of the SSER that will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors.
Related Link
Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve Coordinated Water Resources Monitoring Strategy.
Project Location by County
Suffolk County, NY, Queens County, NY, Nassau County, NY
