HomeMy WebLinkAboutTR-11/30/1964MEETING OF NOVEMBER 30, 1964
A regular meeting of the Southold Town Trustees was called to order
at 1=30 P.M. on November 30, 1964 at the Southold Town Clerk's
Office, by President Alvah B. Goldsmith.
Present: Alvah B. Goldsmith, Philip Weller, John F. McNulty, Frank
Dawson, George Simpson and Marion Regent, Secretary.
Mr. Paul Stoutenbur~h appeared before the Trustees to discuss the
dredging operations in the creeks of Sou~old Town. Mr. Stoutenburgh
discussed the effects of conservation and.~reserva~on, of wetlands
and urged that consideration be given to this phase of the problem
in the granting of future permits by the Board of Trustees.
Mr. Stoutenburgh's presentation was discussed by the Board and it
was the concensus of opinion that much might be done to further
conservation ideas without restricting development too drastically.
The Southold Town Trustees consi~ered the request of the Mattituck
Park District that they be given the opportunity to purchase at a
nominal fee those lands owned by the Town of Southold Board. of
TOWn Trustees bounded as follows= East by Mattituck Park District;
south by County Highway Route 27A; west by Westphalia Road and north
by Mattituck Creek. The Board voted to grant this request with Mr.
McNulty abstaining as he is a member of the Matt~tuck Park Com~ission.
Application of Frank Techet to dredge and bulkhead in front of his
peoperty on Wunneweta Pond, Nassau Point, Cutchogue, New York,
was granted. 167 yds ~ .04 and 75' of bulkhead ~ .25. Fee $25.43 Paid.
RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Town of Southold doekeheD~by
authorizedthe conveyance of all common lands, waters and lands under
water, or rights or other interests therein, subject, as to lands
under water, to the public right of navigation and to the reparian
rights of adjoining upland owners, as to Town of Southold acquired
and now holds by virtue of any colonial patent or charter, situate,
lying and being in the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County, and State
of New York; to the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County, for the con-
sideration of One ($1.00) Dollar.
The following letter was sent to the Southold Town Board and to the
Suffolk County Department of Public Works in ~lation to dredging
in Southold Town waters=
With reference ~o the various proposed major dredging
projects in the creeks of Sol,hold Town, the Southold
Town Trustees, having jurisdiction over these lands
under water, request that detailed plans of these
projects be submitted to them for consideration and
approval prior ~o any such project being undertaken.
Application of He~y W. Prince to install two (2) mooring stakes
in Town Creek was approved. Fee $1.00 paid.
Application of Mary S. Morris, Southold Fishing Station, Main Road,
Southold, N.Y. to build a dock 80' long and 10' wide in Budd's Pond,
Adjournment.
N. Y. STATE CONSERVATION DEPT.
DIVISION OF CONSERVATION EDUCATION
Our Changing Shoreline
This material from the
Department's official magazine --
THE N. Y. STATE CONSERVATIONIST
by Dr. Alfred Perlmutter, Senior Aquatic Biologist, N.Y.S. Conservation Department
ALL along our coast, especially in
centers of dense population such
as Long Island, the once sparsely
settled marshland and bay shores
have become areas of extensive building
and development activities. Where for-
merly the occasional home of the squatter
or co~nmercial fisherman stoo& there is
now row after row of homes. Where
once we found miles of natural sedge
boats, transportation, food and lodging reals without backbones) and by fishes.
and other items of expenditure of im-
portance to the economy of the area.
And who can place a price on the recre-
ational value of the sport fishery which
enables the hurried urbanite to escape
to Nature from his usual daily grind?
Even the incomplete information on
the value of our marine fisheries indi-
cates that they represent a tremendous
The algae and higher plants are the
food of many kinds of shellfish and
crustaceans and of plant-eating fishes.
They also furnish shelter and breed-space
for various aquatic animals.
So there is an abundance of plant and
animal life in the estuarine environment!
The eggs, young and adult stages of
many species are numerous and a wealth
bank and beach, we are now confrontedi natural ........ ~o~th¥ of preservation, of food is present. What does this have
by elaborate bulkheads. Tied to thes~ x~ything, {herefore, that rhay damag~i to do with our fisheries? A day in the
bulkheads and floating on newly-dredge~ them is of concern to the fishery biolo- [ field would answer this question, so why
channels are the family boats powere[ gist. The changes in our marshlands and · not go along with us on a cruise in our
bv high horsepower engines. In add~ bay shores now taking place are a ?o- ~ research vessel, "The Emmeline M." Ou~
tion, extensive marinas have been an~ tential threat to our supply of ~ first stop, which we shall call Station 1,
continue to be developed to provide fol~_fishes and other aquatic anim~a]s. ~o is at the southeast corner of Great
dockage of private boats whose owners
do not live adjacent to the water, for
boats of cruising tourists and for fleets
of boats for hire in the sports fisheries.
Bridges and roads are being constructed,
new channels dug or existing ones deep-
ened and widened, to provide better
access to the water.
At first glance it would appear that
these changes would be of most interest
to the political scientist, sociologist,
economist or local historian. Why should
the fishery biologist and conservationist
be concerned? The answer to this ques-
tion is to be found in the value of the
marine fisheries to all our people and
the relationship of these fisheries to the
shoreline regions.
Our commercial and sport fisheries
of the Marine District take more than
50 species of fishes and at least 13 spe-
cies of shellfish. While the total value
of the fisheries resource is unknown,
some figures are available on our eom-
~nercial fisheries. In 1958, for example,
about 96 million pounds of seafood from
our ~narine waters were landed for which
the commercial fishermen received close
to eight million dollars. However, we
do not know the additional v~alue ac-
cruing to the community from'%ervice
and maintenance of the commercial fish-
eries, nor for their processing and hand-
ling at the wholesale and retail levels.
Even less is known about the value of the
sport fisheries. It has been found that
more than 600~000 people engage in the
sport fisheries in New York's marine
waters each year. No figures are avail-
able on the value of their catch nor on
the money spent on fishing gear and
the shoreline area and its inhabitants
and their relationship to the coastal
populations of fishes.
Estuarlne Region
The shoreliae marshlands and bay
shores are part of our so-called "estuarine
region." This is a term used by aquatic
biologists to describe the complex of
marshlands, bays and river mouths along
the coasts. Within this estuarine region
are found the most fertile waters of the
sea. Into it chemical salts are drained
off the land after rains or are carried
continuously by surface and underwater
streams and rivers. Decaying marsh vege-
tation adds additional chemicals includ-
ing essential vitamins. These materials
nourish the abundant plant life charac-
teristic of the estuarine environment.
Here the microscopic plants, the phyto-
plankton, are so numerous as to often
color the water yellow, green or brown.
The seaweeds--green, red and brown
algaes--grow in profusion as do the
higher types of marine plant life such
as the sedges and. eel grass which fre-
quently emerge as islands at low water
only to vanish with the rising tide.
All of the plant life in turn serves as
food for the varied animal life. The mic-
roscopic plants are eaten by the micro-
scopic animals, the zooplankton, which
also feed on one another. In turn both
the microscopic plants and animals are
eaten by young crustaceans and fishes
and by jellyfish, sponges, shellfish and
some of the larger crustaceans and fishes.
Finally, these animals are devoured by
the larger flesh-eating invertebrates (ani-
Peconic Bay. A net is being readied to
sample the eggs and newly-hatched
young fish together with the other small
animal and plant life which serves as
their food. A conical net of fine silk bolt-
ing cloth, 19~/.~ inches at the mouth and
6~-~ feet long is sewed to a brass ring
and attached by a triple bridle to a
weighted line about two feet above the
weight. The net is lowered to the bottom
and the vessel steams slowly ahead tow-
ing the net in the bottom layer of water.
This continues for two minutes at which
time the net is raised to a higher level
of water and another two-~ninute tow is
made. By this method, over a ten minute-
period, five two-minute tows are made
through each of five layers of water be-
tween the bottom and water surface. The
contents of the net are emptied into a jar.
In this tow we take one pint of a swarm-
ing mass of small plants and animals
(plankton). We cannot help thinking
how much more life is present here than
in the ocean waters oil Montauk, where
only yesterday a ten-minute tow of the
same net yielded but a few ounces of
plankton.
Plankton Check
Now let us return to the laboratory
where we have facilities to examine our
plankton catch under the microscope.
Here we can identify the eggs of many
of the important commercial and recre-
ational fishes. Among them are the eggs
of the porgy, butterfish, mackerel, weak-
fish, blackfish and kingfish. Newly-
hatched young of these species are found
as well as the young of the blowfish and
winter flounder. Also common are the
eggs and newly-hatched young of the
forage fishes, food of larger, carnivorous
fishes--the anchovy, spearing and men-
haden, the latter being also the main
source of fish meal and oil in our Atlantic
coast commercial fisheries and "chum"
in the sport fisheries for tuna, bluefish and
fluke. The remainder of the plankton con-
sists of young and adults of many specie~
of shellfish, worms and crustaceans.
But returning to the boat once more
the young fish trawl is now being low
ered. It is a miniature model of the corn
mercial otter trawl with small-meshe~
netting and is designed to capture the
larger sizes of young fish which have
settled to the bottom. The net is towe:l
for 20 minutes and comes on board with
an interesting cargo. Here are some win-
ter flounders 2 to 3 inches long; a series
of kingfish, all less than 4 inches; porgies
2 to 3 inches iu length; inch long blow-
fish and blackfish; small menhaden and
herrings; and a miscellaneous assortment
of invertebrates including blue crabs,
spider and oyster crabs, sand and grass
shrimp entangled in a mass of seaweeds,
sea squirts and sponges.
the abundant food supply both for them- physical changes in the estuarine region
selves and their young, come the schools were local and did not affect an ap-
of such fishes as the striped t~ass, weak- preciable portion of total region.
fish, porgy, bluefish, fluke and menhaden Within the past ten years, however,
which are among the most important greater physical changes in our estuarine
~]Jl~f:- ' . c ~ · · _ /environment have been taking place than
t is quite obvious that any changes lever before. As described in our opening
that might adversely affect the estuarine ~paragraph, the waters around us have
region will affect the fisheries. Actually, ~been discovered by our urban populations.
such changes have been taking place for JFollowing World War II, the population
many years, not only on Long Island but~roi New York City surged eastward into
also along t~ ,N, assan and S,u, ffolk counties and the
U~~on'-o~C~passible ]commuter age dawned. The vast ma-
~~s~ with poi- jority of the commuters continued to
lution of these rivers, has reduced the work in New York City and therefore de-
population of shad and Atlantic salmon,
species which must run up river from the
sea to spawn. Increased use of newly-de-
veloped insecticides is reportedly killing
much o( the marine life in certain areas.
But these activities in the estnarine en-
vironment, detrimental as they may be to
the fisheries, are not irreversible. Fish
ladders and elevators can be built to g~t
the ripe fish over the dam and to their
spawning ~rea and runs of fish can be
restored. Pollution can be abated and in-
secticides developed or used in a manner
sirable sites for their homes were areas
within easy commuting distance, mostly
in western Nassau County. In these areas,
favored lots were those away from the
waterfront. As inland lots became too
scarce and costly for extensive real es-
tate development, houses were construct-
ed in the waterfront area. At the start.
people were reluctant to buy these homes,
but as more and more were sold and the
recreational and scenic advantages of
waterfront property was recognized there
was a burst of enthusiasm for such home
We now take leave of the research not harmful to aquatic life. More serious
boat and head for shore in the small ~ are cl~anges that affect the physical struc-
seine boat. As we glide along in the ture ~f the estuarlne environment, such
shallow waters near shore we note the
numerous siphon holes of the clams in
the sandy bottom and the small, newly-
set bay scallops attached to the strands
of the eel grass. Along the sedge banks
bordering the land. clumps of large
ribbed tnussels are visible. The beach
seine is made ready and then hauled
along the shore. Again a wide variety of
fishes and invertebrates are caught.
Young of all the species of fishes taken
by the other gears are in the seine but
other species are now taken for the first
time. Here are smne striped killifish, the
sides of the male with vertical black
bars and of the female with horizontal
black stripes, the latter often mis-identi-
fied as the young of the striped bass.
There are nmnerous common killifish, a
favorite fluke hair; pipefishes, close rela-
tives of the seahorses (like them the
males carry the eggs and developing
young in special brood pouches); stickel-
backs; gobies: and some southern
stragglers mullets, jacks, spiny boxfish,
pompano and a single trumpet fish. A
large school of spearing in spawning con-
dition has been captured. The net is
filled with their sticky eggs and clumps of
these eggs are visible on the bases of
the sedges.
But there is no need to go further. Our
day's outing has clearly shown that the
estuarine environment is filled with the
young of many of our commercial and
recreational fishes, forage fishes, com-
mercial shellfishes and a rich supply of
food organisms. It also explains why
there is usually good fishing within the
estuarine region. For here. attracted by
as dredging and filling operations, which
are largely irreversible. In the past these
operations were conducted on a relatively
moderate scale. Some channels were dug,
destroying in the process beds of shellfish
and changing the circulation pattern of
the water so that many of the forms of
aquatic life originally present were re-
duced in number or disappeared. Some
industrial sites were established on
coastal marshes in the process of which
all the marine life was buried under the
fill pumped on the marshes to prepare
the sites, and the character of the sur-
rounding water changed to the extent
that many common animals and plants
became rare. But on the whole, thesa
A bulldozer, in a few hours, can fill
in a marsh that took millions of
years to create.
sites. As a result, not only did water-
front building sites within easy com-
~nuting distance of New York City be-
come desirable, but they became more
valuable than inland sites. Further, all
waterfront property, even as far as the
eastern end of Long Island, became more
'~alnable-than much of the inland area.
The reclamation of the "wasteland" along
our shores for home and recreational sites
continues at a furious pace. This phe-
nomenon is being duplicated all along the
coasts of the United States. In addition,
chan
by biologists in other
branches of conservation, particularly
wildlife scientists, who find the estuarine
region to be an iml~ortant feeding and
other aquatic birds. In New York State.
a new "Wetlands Law" provides match-
ing funds, making it possible for the
State to assist the towns and counties
in preservation of the estuarine regim~
in its natural condition.
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF TIlE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of S~c~rt ~'i~.h~rSes and Wildlife
?osCo'~,, ~-,~;s,~,:iuse~ ~s 0~111
December 1, 196~
Mr. Paul Stoutenburgh
Eastern l,on? Island
wetlands Preservation
CutchoKue, New York
Association
Dear ~r. Stoutenbur~h:
Reference is made to VOUP letter of tiovember 19, 196~ and
attached c15 ppirl?.
We do plan to set up an office on l,onK Island in the near
tupe. Althcu~h the detal]s are not complete, ~t is probable
that an office will be establishe( in Bellpopt about the first
of the year.
Our biologist in char~,e of ~h~s office will be instructed to
eet in touch with you s-t the earliest opportunity' A part
of his duties w[]l be to ~ork with and throuBh you and the
many organizations and individuals interested in preserving.
A copy of the aopl~ca~n filed wi%h the Army Engineers bv
the Suffolk County Department of Public Work~ to dredge
~o and Nud Creek is attached for
Bpoadwster Cove~ Eas~ Ct. ~k~
your .]n formation,
In accordance with estaLlished pollc~, this Service has i~i-
t~ated studies on possible effects of the pro~ect on fish and
As the result of these praliminarv ~indS. n~s we haw~ pequested
the Corps of Engineers ?o de!aY ~ssui~e any permit to the Suf-
?olk Cou~lty Department of pui)l~c .,,.~pko until December 31 i96~
'~ '= time we will comple?e our studies, coordinate our
Dur'in;~ t n ].-. -
work with the New Yo~k State Conse~vatlon DeDartment and our
own BupeatI of Coat~et~cja! r~sher%es' and pre?are a formal
port to the CorDs of Enpi~eers. In all probability o~r repoPt
pa~e ~
to the Corps will either recommend %hat the permit to be denied
or that it be issued only with conditions whereby damafes to
fish and wilflife would be prevented or minimized. A copy of
our report to the Corps of Engineers on this project will be
sent to you,
~qe anticipate that the Corps will, as in the past, disregard
our report and recommendations and issue an unrestricted peP-
mit to dredfe to the Suffolk County Department of Public ~orks.
i½ecause so many people from Lonz Island are aware of the
portal]ce of thei~ wetlands and the need to conserve their,
shrinkinM natural resources, a statement represen~inz the
viewpoint of the U. E. Fish and Wildlife Service toward these
wetlands was recently prepared. A copy ~s enclosed. Your
pa]*ticular attention is called to Chose sections dea][~? with
the need fo~~ action at the Town and County level bv the
zens of the ~own and countV.
Ue freatly appreciate your interest ~n these matters and an-
tic/Date future coordination with the Eastern Long Island
Wetlands Preservation Association.
Sincerely vours,~
Thomas A.
Division
Schrader ~ Chief
of Technical Services
C 0 P Y