Letters

In my last letter [“Crisis at Lake Agawam,” Letters, August 1], I discussed Dr. Christopher Gobler’s findings on the dire state of Lake Agawam.

Positive actions have been taken in the past. Former Mayor Mark Epley installed oxygen bubblers to combat fish kills. In 2019, Mayor Michael Irving initiated the Gin Lane Stormwater Runoff Project, with Department of Environmental Conservation funding, which we completed in 2021. During my tenure, we developed Long Island’s first DEC-sponsored Harmful Algae Bloom Plan, providing a road map for cleaning Lake Agawam. We also installed several bioswales on the south side of the lake.

In 2020, Southampton was selected as one of 10 municipalities across the state to receive a Smart City grant, which funded the design of a permeable reactive barrier, an injection well to prevent polluted groundwater from entering the lake. We followed this with an additional grant in 2022, and the well is now ready for installation. In 2021, our pilot program with the DEC temporarily brought harmful algae blooms down to the lowest level in decades.

We also secured $5 million from a federal grant and $5 million from the Community Preservation Fund’s water quality improvement funds for the state’s first algae harvester, the most significant in the country.

However, to truly restore the lake, we must stop the inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Moving forward, several steps are crucial:

1. The village must stop delaying action on the Pond Lane Park project. It’s time to build consensus and take a step that would help clean the lake.

2. The village should sign the purchase order for the algae harvester immediately. With $10 million in funds waiting on the sidelines, further delays are indefensible.

3. The village needs to pass legislation to phase out old nitrogen-polluting septic systems in the watershed area, which contribute 49 percent of the nitrogen load — more than double what a sewer system would address. The village should start by having Lake Agawam homeowners lead by example.

4. While a sewer system is necessary, it’s essential to understand that, according to the 2017 Gobler study, sewering the downtown will only address 20 percent of the overall nitrogen inputs. Moreover, the proposed 198,000-gallons-per-day system is too small and is not comprehensive enough.

5. The village should follow Suffolk County’s example by passing laws to regulate the use of certain fertilizers, specifically in areas adjacent to our wetlands.

6. The village must resume work on engineered constructed wetlands and dredging, as sediment is responsible for 76 percent of phosphorus pollution. Residents around Lake Agawam should help contribute more funding to complement the many grants we’ve secured.

Lake Agawam was once called the crown jewel of Southampton. It’s now up to current village leadership to take action.

Jesse Warren

Southampton

Warren is a former mayor of Southampton Village — Ed.