STATE OF THE BAY 2015

Tonight 3 year anniversary Hurricane sandy

The Clean Up

Hurricane Sandy Deaths: Sandy, the largest Atlantic system on record, killed 159

people, according to NOAA. Including 43 people in NYC Homes destroyed: Sandy damaged or destroyed at least 650,000

homes and 250,500 insured vehicles. More than 300,000 business properties were also affected, .

Power: During Sandy's immediate aftermath, more than 8.5 million customers lost power, .

Surge: Sandy set historical maximum recorded water levels at the Battery in New York, Kings Point, N.Y.; Bergen Point, N.Y., Sandy Hook, N.J., Bridgeport, Conn., and New Haven Conn., according to NOAA.

Cost: Superstorm Sandy caused $65 billion in damage in the U.S., making it the second-costliest weather disaster in American history behind only Hurricane Katrina, -- (NOAA).

Turn West: It was the first time in modern recorded history that a storm took a sharp turn to the west and hit New Jersey. A scientific study said it was a once-in-700-years track.

Tonight’s GoalOver view of what is going on in Jamaica BayThree main topics—

Habitat/WetlandsWater qualityFish and Wildlife

*-12- Short presentations-

Local InputJBEW and ALS and their members out on the

bay every day of the yearCollectively thousands of hours of

observation time on bay each yearObservations often pick up on new trends or

developments ie Wetland loss ,water quality changes, Grassioli , Ulva , Algae blooms ,Cow nosed rays, …

Ecowatchers retrieving oyster cages

Collaborative EffortACOENPSNYS DECNYC DEPNYC ParksNGO’s-JBEW and ALS and Enviro GroupsUnprecedented Cooperation

Aerial View-Wetland projects to date

Habitat/Wetlands• Wetlands Loss first discovered by JBEW in

1995• Loss rate put at 40 acres per year• Advocacy led to restoration efforts

– Big Egg— year 2002--- 2 Acres– Elders East--Year 2006--- 40 Acres– Elders West-Year 2010----40 Acres– Yellow Bar---Year 2012----44 Acres– Rulers Bar---2012 Year--------- 12 Acres– Blackwall----2012/15 Year-------- 20 Acres

Presentation –Group-1-Projects underway Rulers / Blackwall---Elizabeth Manclarke-ALSSunset Cove--------- Elizabeth Jordan----NYC

DPRSpring Creek--------Venettial Lannon----NYS

DEC

Additional Areas of Concern

Little Egg Marsh

SUBSIDENCE

Big Egg 2006

Big Egg 2012

Large Interior Pooling

Future Potential Projects

Army Corps of Engineers Presentation

Alternative ConceptsAdjacent Slurry Sediment EnrichmentSmaller projectsWorked at Big Egg Restoration-and in Louisiana Sand source is at times limitedSave the area before full fragmentation occursGreatly Reduced priceNatural process for gradingLess invasive and impacting ---no pipes, ships ,

heavy machineryCan be conducted as a maintenance projects

Alternative Concepts

Interior subsidence and pooling

Water Quality2010 Nitrogen Agreement

Negotiated agreement between JBEW,ALS,NY/NJ Baykeeper, NRDC and City of New York

Most significant impact to water quality in the bay since inception of Dewatering operations began

From high of over 50,000 LBS of Nitrogen per day to Less than 30,000 LBS per day and will continue to drop with additional upgrades that are coming on line

Nitrogen Agreement Back story1995-1999 JBEW documented increase in Algae

Blooms and noted changes in Secchi Readings2004-2009 discussions with DEC and DEP over

concerns on Nitrogen Loading2009-Clean water lawsuit brought forth by NRDC

representing JBEW ,ALS, NY/NJ BaykeeperLawsuit on hold-December 2009 negotiations February 2010 –Press conference announcing

Agreement---$100,000,000 plant upgrades and $15,000,000-in Wetland restoration funds

Dropping Nitrogen Loading

Reduced Nitrogen Effects“cleaner water”- visibility- most notable during height of summer

Decrease in Algae BloomsNo incidence of Fish die offsWetlands effect ?—Tipping Point?

Water QualityOther Water Quality ProjectsOyster projects--NYC DEP –presentation

cleaning the water Naturally ?—John McLaughlin DEP

Marine Debris Removal—Lisa ALS

Areas of concern during sustained high heat/no rain

Conditions PresentHydrogen sulfide smellHigh heat/ direct sun/Midday full moon lowLow oxygen levelsLow water depthsVery high water temps over 80 degrees F

Discolored—green water

Post Construction MonitoringPart of Nitrogen agreementWill measure the impact of upgrades

Will seek to collect additional Dataie: Ulva studies

Presentation Post Construction Monitoring Program—John

McLaughlin

Fish Populations

Fluke

Blue Claw Crab

Fish Survey ResultsWater Temperatures and Bait have huge

impact as larger fish move in and out of bayVery cold winter. Water temps in bay

remained cold late into spring affected the bait and also the predators

Fall saw very warm temperatures late into the season and also affected the populations present

SurveyStriped bass—

below average in springBelow average during summerFall run is late and starting to show large increases

in bayBlue Fish –• Similar but had picked up in August within the bayMenhadden—* Late start due to water temperatures. Large

schools in August with the smaller Peanut Bunker present as well

SurveyFluke (summer Flounder) Reports of large numbers early and good size

catches dropped off going into middle of summer and catch sizes also reduced

Off shore Populations seemed to stay stable

Blue Claw CrabNon Existent? Very low populations for last

three years. Including night time surveys on mud Flats—Hurricane Related ?? Cyclical ??

Future Trawl Survey ?Presentation –Venettia Lannon DEC