About the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee

The Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor watershed located on the north shore of Long Island, New York is the cleanest harbor in western Long Island Sound. Like many suburban communities this 40 square mile watershed is subject to continuous environmental threats including storm water runoff, development pressure and habitat impairments.

In order to help protect and enhance the water quality of Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor and their tributaries in the most cost-efficient and effective manner eleven (11) municipalities located within the watershed formed the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee (OB/CSH PC) in January 2010, officially signing an Inter-municipal Agreement in August 2012.

Intermunicipal partnerships like the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee have proven effective to improve water quality across the country. Two successful local examples are the neighboring Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee formed in 1995 and the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee created in 1998. Working together the municipalities identified priority sources of pollution and implemented solutions that dramatically improved water quality with the support of numerous grants.