_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD PACE celebrates July Fourth
Fifth-graders leave in style
Summer starts at the library
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Vol. 71 No. 29
JUlY 13 - 19, 2023
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Protected from floods, and now open to visitors By MARK NolAN mnolan@liherald.com
H
urricane Sandy caused immeasurable grief and destruction nearly 11 years ago. That devastation, however, has spurred a few positives. State officials last month announced the completion of a vast $47 million improvement project at Hempstead Lake State Park in West Hempstead that will reduce flood risk and improve access to the 737-acre park. The project includes two miles of new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trails and observation deck. In addition, the 150-year-old Hempstead Lake Dam was repaired and renovated to protect against future storm damage. Officials said it was one of the largest wetlands projects ever completed by New York State Parks. “Our parks are some of our greatest resources for relaxation, restoration, and connecting with our families,” said Town of Hempstead Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby in a release. “I am happy that the improvement project has been com-
pleted; it was worth the wait.” The $4 million renovation of the only high-hazard dam on Long Island, built in 1873, was a priority. Officials said the repaired dam would help maintain water levels of the lake, particularly if another hurricane like Sandy strikes. Officials had determined that if the dam were to fail, the damage would include highway flooding, water supply issues, and possible fatalities. The state received a $35 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and another $12 million in State Parks capital money was used. The project was part of the Living with the Bay Initiative, created in the wake of Sandy to strengthen South Shore waterfront communities in Nassau County along Mill River. The state committed $125 million to fortify East Rockaway, Bay Park, Lynbrook, Malverne, Oceanside, and Rockville Centre from future stormwater damage. The final phase of the project, recently finished, was making the 144-acre Northern Ponds complex better able to handle stormwater runoff into
Tim Baker/Herald
lighting it up people from all over Long island flocked to Jones Beach on July Fourth to celebrate the holiday, which was topped off with a dazzling 25-minute fireworks display.
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Cleaning up Mill Pond, one invasive species at a time Volunteers pull water chestnut, a hazard to wildlife habitat, from surface By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com
Mill Pond, in south Wantagh, is now a little cleaner thanks to the efforts of state officials and volunteers to rid the small lake of water chestnuts — an invasive species that can be harmful to hikers and water birds. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation hosted its annual water chestnut pull on July 5, putting volunteers to work in either waders or kayaks — which are not typically allowed in Nassau County’s freshwater bodies, but an exception was made for this event.
State Sen. Steve Rhoads and his staff also took part in the cleanup. Water chestnuts have taken over Mill Pond, which is just off of Merrick Road, and appear to be out-competing the native vegetation. While the plant does create some habitat for the fish in the pond, it’s not ideal habitat, because it reduces oxygen levels in the water, according to DEC officials. The water chestnut also makes it more difficult for recreational anglers to catch anything, because it often tangles their lines — and Mill Pond has no shortage of fish to catch, with
T
he real solution is a harvester.
HEIdI o’RIoRdAN DEC biologist species including bluegill, largemouth bass, pickerel, catfish, carp, yellow perch, American eel and, unlike many other lakes in the area, white perch. Heidi O’Riordan, a DEC freshwater fisheries manager and biologist, said the problem first arose just to the east, at Massapequa Reservoir, and she specu-
lated that water chestnuts might have been introduced as a household plant that someone tossed in the water. “It’s an attractive-looking plant,” O’Riordan said. “It probably came as an ornamental from someone’s aquarium. It doesn’t take much, because the seed pods can survive 10 to 12 years.” The chestnuts contain sharp
spikes, which can stick to water birds, contributing to the plant’s spread to other ponds — which, most likely, is how they were transplanted from Massapequa Reservoir to Mill Pond. “When you look out on the water body here, you really only see a few types of plants,” O’Riordan said of Mill Pond’s Continued on page 4