The Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) is inviting proposals for the development of a comprehensive Watershed Action Plan for the Connetquot River Estuary.
The Connetquot River, spanning over 18 square miles on Long Island, is a vital ecosystem that flows into the Great South Bay. Renowned for its historical significance in fly fishing and surrounded by extensive state and local parklands, including Connetquot State Park Preserve and Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, the river supports tourism, recreation, and a waterfront economy.
Despite significant protection through open space acquisitions by New York State, Suffolk County, and the Town of Islip, the river faces impairments such as hypoxia, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and high coliform bacteria levels.
The creation of a Watershed Action Plan will present priorities and potential projects that will help restore the Connetquot River estuary and its waterfront to a fully functioning recreational, shell fishing and fishing space, improving water quality and restoring the waterfront economy.
The RFP and appendices can be downloaded here.
Proposals will be received until 4:00 p.m. on September 22, 2025.
Requests for information pertinent to the preparation and submission of proposals are to be emailed to: Elizabeth Cole, Deputy Executive Director, ecole@lirpc.org no later than September 15, 2025. Responses to inquiries will be posted on the LIRPC website within 5 business days of receipt of the inquiry.
