Pollution. West Meadow Creek and other parts of Stony Brook Harbor have been closed to shellfishing for over 20 years. Violations of the New York State guidelines on bacteria counts are most severe in the upper parts of the Creek, especially in Amy’s Creek. No change has occurred in guidelines since the initial closure.

It is important to realize the basis for shellfish closures. The criterion is based upon counts of bacteria.

West Meadow harbors large populations of the mussel Mytilus edulis, the razor clam Ensis directus, and scattered concentrations of soft-shell clams Mya arenaria, hard-shell clams Mercenaria mercenaria, and surf clams Spisula solidissima. Hard clams were once abundant within West Meadow Creek but those that remain cannot be eaten but will give us a spawner sanctuary for larvae that will swim and settle elsewhere. Soft-shell clams and mussels are still abundant in spots. Shellfish on the beach side can still be exploited in places but that may not last very long as our local house density grows, house size increases, and regulation of leakage of sewage and nutrients does not change.

First, we need to know where the pollution originates. The situation is complex because bad water that is dumped in one part of the creek will wind up in the area with the least circulation, which probably is Amy’s creek. Thus, houses that leak from their septic tanks in this area will have the “bad stuff” retained. But leakages from other parts of the creek, even other parts of Smithtown Bay, may also wind up there as well, as well as in the blind end of the main part of the creek near the Old Field Club.

There is a second worrisome source of pollution and that is the set of storm drains that dump material periodically in the creek. These drains collect surface runoff from many streets surrounding the creek and probably add petroleum, pet fecal bacteria (not easy to distinguish from human bacteria, by the way), and other undesirable substances. No one knows how bad this source is, although a few years back Stony Brook University marine sciences class failed to find any strong association between some pollution sources with the drainpipes.

One also must worry about a number of houses that probably have septic tanks near the creek where exchange is likely. In the past, some of these septic tanks were known to flood at high tide, which strongly suggests an exchange with the Creek. Finally, there are various species of waterfowl, including Canada geese, mute swans, ducks and gulls. These may also add feces that are colonized by bacteria. At this stage, no one knows the relative contribution of all of these sources.

Residents living near the creek should think twice before applying large amounts of fertilizer to their lawns or pesticides. Rain will result in run-off to the creek. Unfortunately, no rules exist right now to restrict such usage.

Is there anything we can do about it? First, we could lobby to change the system of drainage pipes. More creative solutions exist, where drainage systems could be designed as “leaky” systems that drain stormwater into the ground upland, into the marsh perhaps, but not directly into the creek. West Meadow should not be a sewer. Second, houses at risk of exchanging pollutants in the creek should have corrective measures to prevent exchange. Low-lying houses and the cottages on the West Meadow Spit, for example, should have impermeable toilets, which are widely available now and work well. A task force should be established to establish needs; pollution is reversible. This problem has existed for decades and is a source of problems all over Long Island, producing harmful algal blooms.

Pollution can also come from afar. A considerable amount of barge traffic moves through Long Island Sound and petroleum products can be released from ships and your neighbor’s motorboat. We love our boats, but we must be very careful about transfers of gasoline and leaks into the water. This definitely extends to flushable boat toilets. Never use your “head” when in a harbor. Come to think of it, control yourself! Try never to go to the toilet on your boat and flush. The self-control you develop will serve you well when you have to return to shore.

 

Access. The issue of access is a two-edged sword. We want our citizens to have access to the wetlands so that they can observe nature, responsibly exploit fish and shellfish, and enjoy swimming and boating. But access can be so great that the marshes will be destroyed. Walking on salt marsh grass results in the destruction of the grass and the resident biota. Too much digging will soon result in no shellfish: We are nearing that state if not already there in many cases. Powerboats propagate wakes that stir up the sediment and erode organisms from the sand and disrupt delicate burrow structures and chase away fish.

Most disturbing is the trend in recent decades to legal and illegal restrictions of access. Before the 1980s, property owners were fairly relaxed, and access to the creek, especially from the east side, was relatively easy. Well-established paths were used fairly sparingly by walkers, fishers, and clammers. But in recent years, access has been incrementally reduced. Some of this is legal: land, frankly, is more valuable and people are less and less neighborly, so private paths are being cut off. Other restrictions of access are illegal. Some individuals have actually built fences and floating docks into the creek and piles of brush have been constructed to restrict access. Structures such as these are illegal and citizens should complain to the town of Brookhaven or to the local office of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Any structures built within a few hundred feet of the shoreline require DEC permits and structures that impede the high tide level are inevitably illegal. Eventually, the citizens of Stony Brook and other nearby villages would be well advised to form an organization that creates a public walk along the creek that minimizes environmental damage and maximizes education and nature viewing.

This brush fence was constructed by an unknown person at the end of Erland Road with the expressed purpose of preventing people from walking along West Meadow Creek. The fence was illegal because it disturbed the tidal zone (it was removed, but there are still discouraging warning signs there that keep one from exercising riparian rights to the intertidal zone). West Meadow is a complex area, under the regulation of several State and local agencies. The West Meadow spit (Trustees Road) and larger region is still a work in progress, and the Brookhaven Town director of environmental matters, John Turner, should be sought out if you have opinions.

Restoration of West Meadow. In the fall of 2005, dredging commenced off of West Meadow beach and guess where the sand was placed? On the West Meadow spit, just as it was in decades past. A large berm was constructed along the beach and in many places, it was not possible to see the water from Trustees Road or even the playground at the West Meadow beach parking lot. On the one hand, dredging allows boats to pass through the channels leading to the Stony Brook Yacht club and the inner harbo . On the other hand, a large amount of sand deposited on the spit may be eroded and deposited on the fragile open flats opposite the now-removed Brookhaven Bathing association and the still extant West Meadow Beach parking area. Dredging, as known by all geologists, is a dubious enterprise. When you increase the cross-sectional area of a channel, you immediately lower the water velocity and accelerate the deposition of sediment. In other words, dredging begets more dredging, which in turn begets more dredging. This lesson has never been learned very well and we continue to over-dredge channels. The disturbance is bad for clam beds, and bottom creatures. Oh well. Now about 15 years later vegetation is spreading and there are efforts to remove invasive plant species. The recovery process is slow but the West Meadow spit is a very special place. We owe thanks to all the people and organizations who maintain this lovely area.

 

The Future? Plans for future development and preservation of West Meadow are needed. We have a damaged ecosystem and a polluted creek. Hopefully, many will raise their voice to make sure that cooperation be fostered to make an even bigger commitment for all of the partner organizations in West Meadow to construct a comprehensive plan to protect the endangered upland-creek-marshland ecosystem that encompasses the entire area.

Last modified October 23, 2020. All photos are not to be used without permission.