Nissequogue River Cleaned By Smithtown Stream Team

SMITHTOWN, NY — The Smithtown Stream Team recently cleaned the Northeast branch of the Nissequogue River, the Town of Smithtown announced.

The four-day project was between April 11 and April 14, as the group held its second annual river cleaning. Multiple levels of government worked together to clean the town's waterways.

Crews removed fallen branches and debris from sections of the East branch at Route 347 to Stump Pond in Blydenburgh Park. Removing the debris helped restore the flow of water that had stagnated.

Other parts of the river that were cleaned included the water near Harrison Pond in Kings Park and near Hunts Pond in Hauppauge. Many areas that were cleaned as part of the 2022 stream cleaning were checked and cleaned again as needed.

"There are multiple environmental benefits to stream cleaning," the town wrote in a news release. "Removing debris prevents standing water that attracts more mosquitoes to the area. Additionally, with reduced flow of the stream, water cannot flow away, so potential flooding by surface or groundwater can be reduced with cleaning."

Workers from the township's parks department, municipal services facility, and highway department, as well as the Suffolk County Vector Control, Suffolk County Parks, and the Village of the Branch participated in this effort. The cleanup was organized by the Town of Smithtown Department of Environment and Waterways and Environmental Protection Director David Barnes.

The Smithtown Highway Department teamed up with experts in Environment and Waterways, Engineering, and Parks to create the Smithtown Stream Team. The team seeks out measures to address flooding, high water table issues and reducing pollution caused by stormwater runoff. The group studies and inspects the small streams underground for blockages, sediment and invasive species.

The team will create a database, mapping out areas where water struggles to flow through, and will create a plan to remove harmful debris, invasive species and other blockages, which prevent the natural filtration and movement of water.

"This is a game changer for our local ecosystem and water quality," the town wrote.

The Stream Team works with various neighborhoods, residents and each other to clean and maintain areas where sediment buildup and poor water flow causes flooding issues for residents.

The plan moving forward is to maintain these clean streams through proper management and partnership, giving local residents peace of mind during significant rain events.

This program was spearheaded by department leadership; Parks Director Joe Arico, Assistant Town Park Maintenance Director Tom Heester, Environmental Protection Director David Barnes, Town Engineer Mark Riley, Highway Superintendent Robert Murphy and Deputy Superintendent Jim Deutsch.