Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) Newsletter

May 2018

Visit NYSDEC’s LINAP webpage for more information about LINAP, past newsletters,
documents, and more.

This issue’s topics:

• Public Meetings
• Fertilizer Fact Sheets
• Advanced Wastewater Treatment System at Lake Ronkonkoma County Park
• Long Island Commission on Aquifer Protection

Public Meetings

Peconic Estuary Public Meeting to gain input on updates to the PEP Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan.
Thursday, May 31, 2018 5:00-7:00 pm
Shelter Island Public Library
37 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island
For more information email: [email protected]

 Fertilizer Fact Sheets

The first fact sheets of the LINAP Fertilizer Management Workgroup have been released and are on the LINAP web site. They are developed for homeowners and address irrigation measures and fertilizer application timing that help protect groundwater and surface water. The fact sheets are available for download and can be printed for personal and professional use.

The fact sheets are an outcome of the Fertilizer Management Workgroup meetings that were conducted over the past eighteen months and fertilizer questionnaires that were distributed and completed by workgroup members addressing fertilizer formulations and application rates, fertilizer regulations, nutrient recycling, management measures to reduce fertilizer requirements, and the use of native plants. The questionnaires and feedback from the workgroup meetings provided guidance that reduced use of fertilizer by homeowners is a priority to protect water quality.

The Fertilizer Management Workgroup was established to support the LINAP initiative by evaluating existing fertilizer reduction strategies and to recommend modifications and measures that can be taken to further reduce nitrogen pollution from fertilizer use. The group consists of representatives from landscape and grounds, agriculture, golf course industry associations, fertilizer manufacturers, industry advisory organizations, governmental agencies, environmental advocacy organizations, and academia.

Advanced Wastewater Treatment System at Lake Ronkonkoma County Park

On May 18th, County Executive Steve Bellone commemorated the installation of a new advanced wastewater treatment system at Lake Ronkonkoma County Park. The newly-installed wastewater treatment system will remove hundreds of pounds of nitrogen from wastewater generated in the park to protect lake water quality.  The effort is part of a larger revitalization plan for Lake Ronkonkoma. The system will prevent over 200 pounds of nitrogen from polluting the lake per year.

Long Island Commission on Aquifer Protection

Legislators have voted to extend the life of the Long Island Commission on Aquifer Protection (LICAP).   LICAP is a bi-county entity that was formed to provide recommendations for protecting the quantity and improving the quality of Long Island’s groundwater and related-water resources. Since its formation in 2013, it has held public hearings, prepared and issued an Interim Groundwater Resources Management Plan and published its annual State of the Aquifer Report.

LICAP has also released a GIS-based water quality mapping and database tool known as Water Traq. The tool allows anyone to view concentrations of numerous compounds in the aquifer.  It also allows users to overlay topography, municipal boundaries, and the depth to groundwater.  The 2013 legislation that enacted LICAP was set to expire in December of this year. This legislation extends LICAP through December 2023.