Long-term planning for water quality monitoring, and remediation

We are deep in the heat of summer and we hope you are all soaking in every moment spent on the beach, at back yard barbecues, walking along Gerard Drive or however you most enjoy living or visiting the East End. Thank you, as ever, for being a part of our community.  

We have exciting news about a dynamic new initiative that the Accabonac Protection Committee is spearheading- along with the Town of East Hampton – to get a deeper look at and define the causes of water quality issues in our beloved harbor. This new program will also pinpoint the remediation efforts we need to take moving forward to protect the harbor from growing nitrogen levels and offsetting toxic algae blooms that are already disrupting ecosystems in areas like Georgia Pond, Sag Pond and Mecox Bay.  

At APC, we are proactive and determined to stay ahead of these issues to preserve this land and water body for generations to come.  Here is the latest…

Following the Flow: Understanding Accabonac Harbor Better

APC launches a new long-term monitoring effort, bringing together modern science, community action, and more than a decade of research to better understand and protect Accabonac Harbor.

Since 2014, the southwestern portion of Accabonac Harbor, including Pussy’s Pond, has been the focus of water quality studies, septic improvements, and pilot restoration projects. While monitoring has provided us valuable information, it has been sporadic in recent years. APC is now doubling down on efforts to move forward.

We are excited to announce that APC recently funded a forward-thinking and long-term testing and remediation project led by Ron Paulsen, P.G., and Clear Bays. This project proposes a comprehensive long-term monitoring program to determine how conditions have changed in Accabonac Harbor, evaluate the effectiveness of previous projects, and identify where additional action is needed.

What Will Be Studied?

The project will focus on Pussy’s Pond and the southwestern section of Accabonac Harbor and include funding provided by the Town of East Hampton and the Accabonac Protection Committee (APC).

Many of the monitoring locations were previously sampled between 2014 and 2018 allowing Clear Bay’s current results to be compared with historical data. Sampling will take place during summer and fall 2026, with follow up monitoring later in the year where needed.

Researchers will examine both surface water and porewater—the water found within the harbor sediments—and measure groundwater entering the harbor from below.

How is this different from what we’ve been doing before?  Read on below.

Finding the Sources of Nitrogen

One of the project’s most important goals is understanding how groundwater may be carrying nitrogen into the harbor.

Using state-of-the-art Trident and UltraSeep technologies, the project team will locate areas of submarine groundwater discharge and measure both groundwater flow and nitrogen concentrations. Combining these measurements will allow researchers to estimate nitrogen loading (how much and where nitrogen is entering the harbor) and identify areas that may benefit from additional mitigation.

The findings will also help evaluate many of APC’s ongoing efforts including the Pussy’s Pond denitrification project, General Store pilot project, septic improvements, fertilizer-use reductions, enhanced buffers, and other remediation measures.

Turning Science Into Action

The project will compile historical and new data to identify water quality conditions and trends. A final report will provide recommendations for future improvements and help guide decisions about where additional restoration efforts will have the greatest benefit.

Just as importantly, the science will be shared with the community! Clear Bays will work with the APC and the Town of East Hampton to develop outreach materials and presentations explaining how groundwater, septic systems, nutrients, and other land-based inputs affect the health of the harbor.

Building on Local Experience

With more than 25 years of experience in groundwater investigations and marine environmental research, Ron Paulsen, P.G., brings extensive local and technical expertise to the effort.

The goal is simple: understand what is happening beneath and within Accabonac Harbor, measure what is changing, and use that knowledge to help protect the harbor for generations to come.

As always, the Accabonac Protection Committee will continue to keep you, our community, informed as we move forward.

This level of work is only possible due to the generous support of our community and your donations to help fund critical fact-finding programs such as this. Thank you for your continued support, engagement, and advocacy. Together, we can ensure that Accabonac Harbor, our waterways, and our open spaces remain protected for future generations.

The work continues.  Please donate here.

We need you.

If you’d like to get further involved with Accabonac Protection Committee:

• Reach out to us via email at accabonacprotection@gmail.com,
• Sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter, or
• DONATE HERE to protect Accabonac Harbor.

All proceeds go towards our ongoing initiatives, efforts, and up-to-date collaborations with Cornell Cooperative Extention and other local non-profit groups to protect the quality of our local waters and landscapes. 

We thank you for staying informed, engaged, and committed to protecting Accabonac Harbor and the surrounding environment.

Submit your donation via PayPal here or mail a check to:
Accabonac Protection Committee
P.O. Box 4058 
East Hampton, NY 11937

The Accabonac Protection Committee is a 501c3 organization. Every contribution is fully tax-deductible.