Hempstead cleanup plan aims to boost oyster population in Jamaica Bay

Hempstead Town is using a $300,000 state grant to boost the amount of oysters off nearby Inwood Marina to clean well-traveled area waterways after decades of pollution.

A project started several years ago by New York City and state officials added 50,000 oysters to the section of Jamaica Bay. The bay includes a wildlife refuge and borders Kennedy Airport.

A study on the 2015 project concluded that more oysters were needed and town officials hope the latest effort will enhance a self-sustaining oyster community to improve water quality.

The grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation is being used to add beds of Eastern oysters to town waters near the airport and Inwood. The aim is to eventually have 10,000 square feet of oyster beds in the bay.

Town biologists are working on the effort with the Hudson River Foundation and New York Harbor School’s Billion Oyster Project.

"Oysters are great to remove harmful algae and create the habitat for other wildlife in the waters," Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said. "We’re committed to safeguarding the environment. It’s of vital importance for the environment and we look forward to working with the DEC to get another phase going along the entire south barrier island and continue all the way down the coastline."

Oysters can remove "suspended sediments" and filter water to improve clarity and enhance the health of other crustaceans and fish. Fishing for oysters in the section of Jamaica Bay where the project is ongoing is prohibited.

The project is planned for the next five years with various conservation groups. Hempstead Town officials said they would seek additional grants to expand its other shellfish restoration projects.

"We remain committed to protecting our coastal waterways and continuously seeking new solutions to enhance our local aquatic ecosystems here in Hempstead Town," Councilman Anthony D’Esposito said in a statement.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $10.4 million project in 2017, which he dubbed the largest clam and oyster restoration project in the country. The project included plans to add 179 million oysters and clams in Long Island Sound and along the South Shore, with involvement by the DEC, Stony Brook and Cornell universities.

The funding included $1.6 million for Brookhaven, East Hampton, Hempstead and Islip to improve shellfish hatcheries under former supervisors Laura Gillen and Anthony Santino.

Hempstead has focused most of its efforts in Reynolds Channel and the back bays spreading to Point Lookout. The town expanded its hatchery in Point Lookout, aiming to quadruple its oyster and clam production.

The town has bred the shellfish at its hatchery in Point Lookout, expanding production from 2 million to 10 million oysters and clams to remove nitrogen.

Town and state officials also anticipate better water quality after completion of the Bay Park Sewer project, which will divert sewage from Long Beach and East Rockaway to Cedar Creek water treatment plant in Wantagh.

"That area has really suffered and this is the chance to give it a rebirth to use the natural abilities of Mother Nature and purify that area," Clavin said. "We border New York City and with waters being polluted by so many entities we share the responsibility with every municipality to safeguard and improve quality of life."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.