New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Waterbody/Watershed Facility Plan Alley Creek and Little Neck Bay
policy, the alternatives were developed and evaluated on the basis of resulting water quality improvement beyond that resulting from the CSO Facility Plan Tank. Alternatives were evaluated to assess the USEPA recommended benchmarks such as 70, 80, and 90 percent CSO volume reduction, and 10-12, 4-6, and 0 annual event targets for untreated overflows. In addition, the presence of a bathing beach, Douglas Manor Association (DMA) Beach, on Little Neck Bay requires special consideration as a “sensitive area” according to the federal CSO policy. Alley Creek and Little Neck Bay Watershed Development During the mid-1800s there was a thriving commercial shellfishery in Little Neck Bay, which was particularly known for the harvest of small hard shell clams that became known as Little Neck clams. However, the developing suburban population in the adjacent watershed placed pollution pressures on the resource, and the condemnation of the shellfish beds due to pollution took place in 1909. Development of the area as a commuter suburb of New York City had significant physical impacts on the waterbody, particularly in terms of biological habitat. The Cross Island Parkway, built in the late 1930s along the western shoreline of the Bay, radically transformed the previous natural shoreline habitat. Similarly, the Long Island Railroad, the Northern Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway running along the east-west corridor disrupted wetland areas along either side of Alley Creek at the southern end of Little Neck Bay. However, since the 1960s there has been particular interest by local environmental groups and by various city, state and federal agencies to restore some of the natural wetland areas that were degraded by previous development. Two locations where significant restoration success has occurred and is continuing are Aurora Pond on the Gabler’s Creek tributary to Udalls Cove, on the east side of Little Neck Bay (see Plate ES-1); and Alley Pond, a wetland that has been restored as part of Alley Pond Park, in the headwaters of Alley Creek at the southern end of the bay. Water Quality Issues NYSDEC has classified Alley Creek as Class I and Little Neck Bay as Class SB. NYSDEC considers the SA and SB classifications to fulfill the Clean Water Act goals of fully supporting aquatic life and recreation. Class SC supports aquatic life and recreation but the recreational use of the waterbody is limited due to other factors. Class I supports the Clean Water Act goal of aquatic life protection and supports secondary contact recreation. In 1998, NYSDEC listed Little Neck Bay as a high priority waterbody for TMDL development with its inclusion the Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies. The cause of the listing was pathogens due to CSO discharges and urban and storm runoff. Little Neck Bay continues to be listed on the 303(d) List for Pathogens through 2008 (most current list). “Alley Creek/Little Neck Bay Tributary” was listed for the first time on the 2004 Section 303(d) List ES-3
June 19, 2009