Suffolk County Wetlands

Project Location: Gardiners County Park East and West; Timber Point County Park; Smith’s Point; West Sayville Wetlands
Client: Suffolk County Department of Public Works

The team of NPV/N+P served as a consultant engineer for the County Wetlands Restorations Project under NFWF and HMGP Grants.  The project encompassed Environmental and Permit Services for Suffolk County’s wetland restoration grants: Coastal Resiliency via Integrated Salt Marsh Management and Tidal Wetland Restoration to Improve Natural Protection against Flooding and Storm Surge Damage.  Services for this project included survey of wetlands areas, preparation of engineering design with site plan drawings, and preparation of permit applications for projects located in Smith Point Park North,  Timber Point Park, West Sayville and Gardiner Park (east and west) in conjunction with the two wetland grants received through NFWF and HMGP.

NPV/N+P has followed the restoration work of Suffolk County Vector Control at the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge to design and obtain the necessary permits for modification of former linear mosquito ditch grids into meandering tidal streams and ponds that facilitate tidal inundation, improved water circulation, replicate natural conditions, and facilitate tidal wetlands restoration for improved habitat, reduced mosquito breeding areas, erosion control and other essential functions associated with improved tidal wetlands.  NPV and N+P prepared project plans, cross sections and note details needed to implement the restoration.  Plans included earthwork quantities, with the intent to balance cut and fill to the maximum extent in carefully filling existing linear ditches to be replaced with meandering tidal streams and ponds.

NPV also assisted Suffolk County Department of Public Works (SCDPW) to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessments (EA) for the two grants, which were reviewed and accepted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Interior. NPV obtained all the necessary wetland permit applications and prepared the SEQRA documentation for review and acceptance by the County Council on Environmental Quality.  NP/NPV is assisting with construction field mark out of the proposed modified wetland channels and micropools, and the first of the projects was constructed in the 2018/2019 winter construction season. The projects required close coordination and permitting with the NYSDEC, and a 5-year monitoring protocol has been established.