We are hearing and reading a lot these days about the Mill Neck-Oyster Bay-Cold Spring Harbor estuary complex. Most people I have polled about it do not understand what this is and how it relates to how we live, work, and recreate in Oyster Bay. It is important to know what the estuary is and what it means to the beauty and ecological health of our area.

In 1987 Friends of the Bay formed to stop development on Oyster Bay Harbor. The organization has grown over the years to be a "watchdog" that looks after the Mill Neck-Oyster Bay-Cold Spring Harbor estuary complex. The area of the estuary complex distends roughly from points inland such as Mill River, Mill Pond, Whites Creek, Beaver Brook and Beaver Lake, to Oyster Bay Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor, West Harbor, and Mill Neck Creek.

An estuary is where fresh water from a river or stream mixes with salt water from an ocean or bay. Estuaries are fragile ecosystems, which support some of the Earth's richest and most productive habitats. An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of water which has a set of connections with the wide open sea and within which sea water mixes with fresh water. The central feature of an estuary is that it is a blending place for open sea water and a sizable amount of fresh water.

A tide is a fundamental element to sustain the remarkable union between the two different bodies of water. Incredibly, an estuary can endure a non-tidal sea, such areas go by names such as lagoon or laguna. In non-tidal seas, the rivers naturally form deltas with layers of compacted sediment that are not easily pushed out to sea. An estuary is purely the tidal mouth of a river or stream, and is often similarly characterized by sedimentation of silt which mainly comes with the tidal force of the sea. However, in Oyster Bay's case the sediment predominantly comes from inland sources because Oyster Bay waters are so protected from the Long Island Sound.

Consequently the Mill Neck-Oyster Bay-Cold Spring Harbor estuary complex has formed sand and mud banks and marshes or wetlands that are relied upon as habitat for much wildlife such as wading birds, crabs, small fish, thousands of Diamondback Terrapins (a type of turtle), and billions of shellfish. These types of harmless wildlife find shelter and food in the context of the shallow water that becomes protected by grasses, herbs, and other low-growing plants.

Habitat destruction of the estuary is a major factor in causing a species population to decrease and generally leads to being endangered, or even extinct. The estuary and its inhabitants are greatly affected by stormwater runoff and its health is also related to things such as new construction, the limited remaining capacity of local water and sewer districts for new development, and what we put into our storm drains, catch basins, and on our lawns and gardens.

It is not a common understanding of the estuary as actually "wild nature" so close to our homes. We generally think of wilderness as far away, mysterious, and undeveloped, and thus easier to discuss protecting it. Nevertheless, reduction and cleanup of local man-made pollution also affects how we survive too. How we use water in our homes, yards, and workplaces can actually produce positive outcomes. Conservation methods need not be costly, hard, or inconvenient, but they do mean making changes to daily habits, i.e., becoming informed of water and electricity and how we use it. By saving water or electric consumption, you can help protect the environment, and you will also save money on your water and electric bills. Although your savings might be small, if every person helped to conserve, the collective effort would be enormous.

Some easy things you can do to help the health of our local estuary:

• Put garbage in the trash rather than using a garbage disposal, which uses a lot of water and puts unnecessary solids into our waste systems.

• Plant trees and foliage that is native to our area, especially sea grass near the shore.

• Form ditches around plants to prevent runoff of plant waste.

• Use car washes that recycle water.

• Let car wash water drain on the lawn or garden instead of into a storm drain, etc.

• Use environmentally-friendly alternative deicers, such as sand or Anti-Sssskid, in the winter to reduce contaminating fresh water with salt, which lowers good oxygen levels needed for fish and other wildlife in streams or ponds.

For more information about local boating or environmental issues please contact me at 922-0555 or JaimeVanDyke@gmail.com. Please also visit www.sagamoreyc.com or look up SagamoreRacing on Yahoo!Groups on the Web.