Town of Shelter Island Watershed Management Plan
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN PREPARED FOR: TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND 38 North Ferry Road P.O. Box 970 Shelter Island, New York 11954 New York State Department of State Office of Planning & Development One Commerce Plaza 99 Washington Avenue, Suite 1010 Albany, New York 12231-0001 PREPARED BY: NELSON, POPE & VOORHIS 572 Walt Whitman Road Melville, New York 11747 (631) 427-5665 June 2014 TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN FINAL For Information, Contact: Laury Dowd Tracey O’Malley Town Attorney Coastal Resources Specialist Town of Shelter Island New York State Department of State Office of Planning and Development 38 North Ferry Road One Commerce Plaza P.O. Box 970 99 Washington Avenue, Suite 1010 Shelter Island, NY 11954 Albany, NY 12231-0001 Phone: (631) 749-0027 Phone: (518) 474-4457 Email: [email protected] Email: Tracey.O’[email protected] Prepared by: Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC 572 Walt Whitman Road Melville, New York 11747 June 2014 This document was prepared for the New York State Department of State with funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared for: Jim Dougherty, Town Supervisor Town Board Edward Brown, Councilmen Peter S. Reich, Councilmen Christine N. Lewis, Councilmen Paul Shepherd, Councilmen Key Stakeholders & Participants: Peter Reich Town Board Member Town of Shelter Island Paul Shepherd Town Board Member Town of Shelter Island Billy Banks Building Inspector Town of Shelter Island Chris Tehan Building Inspector Town of Shelter Island Laury Dowd MS4 Coordinator Town of Shelter Island Jay Card Highway Superintendent Town of Shelter Island Emory Breiner Member Town Planning Board Ed Bausman Chair Town Conservation Advisory Council Tim Hogue Mayor Village of Dering Harbor & Shelter Island Association Laura Hildreth Village Clerk Village of Dering Harbor Al Kilb Project Manager Shelter Island Heights Property Owners (SIHPOC) Dr. Michael Hynes Superintendent Shelter Island School Sara Gordon Representative Peconic Land Trust Cara Loriz Representative Sylvester Manor Educational Foundation Mike Laspia Representative The Nature Conservancy Barbara Bloom Secretary Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce TABLE OF CONTENTS Page COVER SHEET I TABLE OF CONTENTS III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1 1.1 Background and Purpose 1-1 1.2 Goals and Objectives 1-1 2.0 WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION 2-1 2.1 Watershed Study Area & Subwatershed Delineation 2-1 2.2 Geographic Setting & Features 2-1 2.2.1 Topography 2-1 2.2.2 Geology 2-2 2.2.3 Hydrography 2-3 2.2.3.1 Surface Water 2-3 2.2.3.2 Groundwater 2-4 Hydrogeology 2-4 Groundwater Elevation and Flow 2-4 Water Table Response to Precipitation 2-6 Sub-watersheds 2-6 Groundwater Contributing Areas (to Surface Waters) and 2-8 Time of Travel Zones Depth of Fresh Water 2-8 Water Use and Quantity 2-12 2.2.4 Flood Zones 2-14 2.2.5 Soils & Erosion 2-16 2.2.6 Precipitation & Climate 2-19 2.2.7 Infrastructure 2-20 2.2.7.1 Transportation 2-20 2.2.7.2 Stormwater 2-21 2.2.7.3 Sanitary 2-22 2.2.7.4 Potable Water 2-23 2.3 Land Use & Land Cover 2-23 Land Use and Land Cover 2-23 Publicly Owned Land 2-26 Marinas, Yacht Clubs & Ferries 2-26 Town Landfill 2-27 2.4 Human & Socioeconomic Resources 2-27 2.4.1 Zoning 2-27 2.4.2 Demographics 2-29 2.5 Natural Resources 2-29 2.5.1 Wetlands 2-29 TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN Freshwater Wetlands 2-29 Tidal Wetlands 2-33 2.5.2 Living Resources 2-34 2.5.3 Habitats 2-35 NYSDOS Significant Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat 2-35 Eel Grass Beds & Submerged Aquatic Vegetation 2-36 NYNHP Significant Natural Communities 2-37 Wintering Harbour Seals 2-40 PEP Critical Natural Resource Areas 2-40 Peconic Bay Waterfowl Focus Area 2-40 2.6 Water Quality 2-40 2.6.1 Surface Water Quality Classifications 2-40 2.6.2 Water Quality Data 2-42 Groundwater Quality 2-42 Stormwater 2-49 Surface Water Quality 2-49 2.6.3 Known Impairments 2-54 NYS 303(d) List 2-54 Shellfish Closure Areas 2-56 GP 0-10-002 Pathogen Impaired Watersheds 2-56 Harmful Algal Blooms 2-57 3.0 DESCRIPTION AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL LAWS, PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES 3-1 AFFECTING WATER QUALITY 3.1 Federal and State Regulations 3-1 3.2 County Regulations 3-6 3.3 Town Regulations and Practices 3-8 3.3.1 Local Laws and Regulations 3-8 3.3.2 Land Use Plans 3-15 3.3.3 Watershed Management Plans 3-16 3.3.4 Town Programs and Municipal Best Management Practices 3-16 3.3.5 Building Permit and Special Permit Review 3-24 3.4 Best Management Practice Gap Analysis 3-25 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 4-1 4.1 Waterbody Recommendations 4-1 4.2 Upland Recommendations 4-6 4.2.1 Stormwater Runoff 4-6 4.2.2 Municipal Facilities Recommendations 4-9 4.2.3 Groundwater and Wastewater Recommendations 4-11 4.2.4 Regulatory Recommendations 4-14 4.2.5 Natural Resource and Invasive Species Management 4-17 4.2.6 Stewardship & Public Education Recommendations 4-19 4.3 Project Prioritization 4-21 5.0 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY 5-1 5.1 Implementation Actions 5-1 Page IV TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN 5.2 Funding Sources 5-20 6.0 REFERENCES 6-1 TABLES Page Table 1 FEMA Flood Zones 2-15 Table 2 Soil Types & Abundance 2-18 Table 3 State & County Owned Roadways 2-21 Table 4 Land Use – Shelter Island 2-24 Table 5 Land Cover – Shelter Island 2-25 Table 6 Zoning – Shelter Island 2-28 Table 7 NYSDEC Freshwater Wetlands 2-32 Table 8 Rare Species Identified by the NYNHP 2-35 Table 9 Shelter Island Significant Natural Communities 2-38 Table 10 NYSDEC Surface Water Quality Classifications 2-41 Table 11 SCDHS 2009 to 2011 Groundwater Quality Data 2-47 Table 12 Surface Water Quality Results 2-51 Table 13 Surface Water Quality Evaluation Criteria 2-52 Table 14 NYS 303(d) List 2-55 Table 15 Municipal Best Management Practices 3-17 Table 16 Regulatory Gap Analysis 3-26 Table 17 Pollutant Load – Subwatersheds with Proposed Improvements 4-23 Table 18 Project Prioritization 4-24 Table 19 Implementation Strategy 5-2 Table 20 Measurable Objectives 5-9 Table 21 Potential Funding Sources 5-21 GRAPHS Page Graph 1A Annual Rainfall, 1930 - 2011 2-19 Graph 1B Average Monthly Rainfall, 1930-2011 2-20 Graph 2 Pollutant Load – Subwatersheds with Proposed Improvements 4-23 Page V TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN FIGURES Figure 1 Shelter Island Surface Subwatersheds Figure 2 Topography Figure 3 Geologic Cross Sections Figure 4 Water Table Contour Map Figure 5 Major Groundwater Subwatersheds Figure 6 Groundwater Contributing Areas Travel Times Figure 7 FEMA Flood Zone Map Figure 8 SLOSH Map Figure 9 General Soil Types Figure 10 Soils Map Figure 11 Stormwater Infrastructure Figure 12 Water Districts and Well Locations Figure 13 Land Use Figure 14 Land Cover Figure 15 Publicly Owned Lands Figure 16 Zoning Figure 17 Population Figure 18 Wetlands Figure 19 Significant Natural Habitats Figure 20 Resource Management Areas Figure 21 Surface Water Quality Classifications & Sampling Stations Figure 22 Saltwater Encroachment and Upconing Figure 23 Interpolated Nitrate Levels Figure 24 Known Impairments Figure 25 Areas with Shallow Depth to Groundwater Figure 26 Stormwater Improvement Projects Figure 27 Additional Recommendations APPENDICES Appendix A Parcels Targeted For Acquisition Appendix B NYSDOS Significant Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Assessments Appendix C NYNHP Significant Natural Community Descriptions Appendix D SCDHS Bathing Beach Data Appendix E STP Outfall Data Appendix F NYSDEC Shellfish Closure Area Regulations Appendix G Use of Alum for Phosphorus Remediation Appendix H Stormwater Retrofit Reconnaissance Inventory Appendix I Sample Vehicle Washing Areas Appendix J Example Cost Shared Pump Out Programs Page VI TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN Appendix K Sample Septic System Filters Appendix L Pollutant Load Model Results Appendix M Excerpt from Appendix K of the Peconic Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) Page VII WATERBODY AND WATERSHED INVENTORY REPORT TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Why Prepare a Watershed Management Plan? Watershed planning is a means to protect and restore water resources, as well as the local economies that rely on these essential coastal resources. The purpose of a Watershed Management Plan is to provide a comprehensive approach to educate, plan for and implement incremental improvements with a goal of protecting and restoring watershed health. Shelter Island’s resources are fragile, and human influences and actions affect the island’s waterbodies, both directly and indirectly. This is particularly evident in West Neck Bay and Dering Harbor, where known impairments due to pathogens, nitrogen levels and harmful algal blooms exist. Human actions have direct impact on water quality: discharge of stormwater and sanitary waste without adequate filtration to surface and groundwater, filling and removal of wetlands that provide natural filtering and biological uptake of pollutants, removal of trees and vegetated Page i TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN buffers surrounding waterbodies that cause erosion and lower dissolved oxygen, fertilization of lawns, and the list continues. To facilitate the preparation of a Watershed Management Plan for Shelter Island, the Town applied for and received a grant from New York State Department of State (funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund) to prepare this Watershed Management Plan.