'Critical' Fish Ladder Installed At Historic Suffolk River

YAPHANK, NY — The road to seeing the Carmans River Fish Ladder completed has been a long one — about 12 years fraught with some unexpected twists and turns, like COVID-19, which slowed many Suffolk County capital projects.

Though recently competed, baby eels have already begun to congregate at its base in a sure sign that the newly constructed device is achieving the greater Yaphank community's goals of rejuvenating the very sensitive ecosystem and once-pristine water quality.

The ladder will allow fish to swim from Upper Yaphank Lake, along the river, and access other waterways straight down to Great South Bay.

County Legis. James Mazzarella called the installation of the fish ladder a good day for the Yaphank community, as well as a great day for the environment, "and more importantly a great day for our marine habitat."

"The ladder is the final link between the Upper Lake of Yaphank and the Great South Bay," he said. "It's a 10-mile run. We have a fish ladder in the Upper Lake. We have another fish ladder down at South Haven Park, and the fish ladder here is, again, is the final link that will complete the chain. It will facilitate migration of certain marine life to complete their lifecycle."

Mazzarella said that at the beginning of construction, officials learned the roadway might have to be shut down during construction, which would have significantly impacted nearby Main Street.

The county's Department of Public Works instead came up with an alternate plan ensuring construction was off the roadway, allowing residents to complete their trip through their town and also not cut off the post office, as well as deli and the pizzeria, which depend on the roadway for their commerce, he said.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine explained Yaphank's upper and lower lakes were formed over 250 years ago with the installation of a dam, but it cut off marine life, so the fish ladder was needed to restore balance.

The town finished its fish ladder at Lower Yaphank Lake several years ago.

"From the Great South Bay to the upper reaches of the Carmans, you can see life returning," he said.

County Executive Steve Bellone called water quality in the Carmans River "an issue that that we all care deeply about protecting," and making sure that all the things that we love about living here in this county and on the island that are related to water is so critical."

"For fish to be able to travel along the 10 miles of the Carmans River is really historic and significant," he said.

The fish ladder will also ensure the creation of a healthy fishery, "so that the Carmans River can be accessible for anyone who wants to have the best fishing experience and to enjoy our waterways."

"It's about making the necessary investments to protect the river and return it to its natural habitat," he said.