By the Numbers


Designations
  • USFWS National Wildlife Refuge – 3,200 acres, largest on Long Island
  • Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat – Mill Neck, Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor
  • Outstanding Natural Coastal Resource Area
  • Most important shellfishery in New York State – all waters designated SA – Shellfishing (highest and best use)

The Watershed
  • 40 square mile watershed comprising 18 municipalities
  • 2 counties (Nassau 80% of watershed and Suffolk 20% of watershed)
  • 1 City (Glen Cove 2% of watershed)
  • 2 Towns (Oyster Bay 80% of watershed and Huntington 18% of watershed)
  • 13 Villages

14 Subwatersheds
  1. Bailey Arboretum
  2. Beaver Brook
  3. Centre Island
  4. Cold Spring Brook
  5. Cold Spring Harbor
  6. Kentuck Brook
  7. Lloyd Neck
  8. Mill Neck Creek
  9. Mill River
  10. Oyster Bay Harbor
  11. Tiffany Brook
  12. Upper Kentuck Brook
  13. Upper White’s Creek
  14. White’s Creek

The Estuary
  • 6,000 acre estuary
  • Shoreline: 40 linear miles

Shellfish
  • Historically, but no longer:
    • 90% of New York’s oyster harvest
    • 33% of New York’s clam harvest
    • 80 independent baymen
  • The Town of Oyster Bay’s Bay Management Program in cooperation with the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association has seeded tens of millions of clams and oysters since 1999
  • One remaining commercial shellfish company (Frank M. Flower and Sons)
  • All of Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor designated as “SA” waters (shellfishing highest and best use)
  • Oyster Bay Harbor and Mill Neck Creek (300 acres) are among 69 waterbodies on NYS list of impaired waters for shellfishing
  • 18 acres in Turtle Cove, West Harbor reopened for shellfishing

Wetlands
  • 1,000 acres of tidal wetlands
  • Freshwater wetlands 2% of watershed area

Wildlife
  • 126 species of birds including osprey, heron, egrets and double crested cormorants
  • Over 25 species of waterfowl such as mallards, canvasback, black duck and scaup
  • United States Fish and Wildlife Service have documented over 20,000 ducks on one survey.
  • Marine mammals: Harbor Seals
  • Sea Turtles and diamondback terrapins

Water Quality
  • Cleanest harbor in western Long Island Sound
  • Friends of the Bay Water Quality Monitoring testing weekly April – October since 1999

Boating and Recreation

Land use
  • 64% residential
  • 10% open space
  • 7% transportation
  • 2% commercial
  • 0.1% former industrial

Impervious surface cover - 12% overall
  • Highest - White’s Creek subwatershed 30%
  • Bailey Arboretum and Lloyd Neck subwatersheds <10% impervious surface cover
  • Overall 3% of watershed has potential for new development