Wading River duck ponds get $850K boost toward restoration

A pair of deteriorating Wading River duck ponds will get an $850,000 infusion from Brookhaven Town, local officials announced Tuesday.

The joint project calls for dredging accumulated sediment, replacing failing bulkheads and controlling stormwater runoff at the ponds, which straddle Riverhead and Brookhaven, according to Riverhead Councilman Ken Rothwell.

Mr. Rothwell, who is running for Riverhead supervisor, was joined by Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro and Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner in Wading River to announce the planned work.

The engineering phase is expected to continue into spring 2027.

“That’s just the first step to really great things, and we’re going to eventually going to control the stormwater,” Mr. Rothwell said. “We’re going to protect this ecosystem and restore it to its natural habitat.”

The Brookhaven Town Board voted Oct. 22 to establish the restoration project and fund it with $850,000 in bond proceeds. Mr. Losquadro said the amount represents the town’s current estimate of its share of both engineering and capital improvements.

Suffolk County also approved a $65,000 downtown revitalization grant for beautification around the ponds last week. Mr. Rothwell said additional funding will be needed to complete the entire restoration.

“If there’s one thing anybody knows, I love building things,” Mr. Losquadro said. “But building things takes money, and I have long sought to do this project, but without funding, it’s just an idea.”

Mr. Losquadro said the existing bulkheading, which is failing, is Riverhead’s jurisdiction, meaning the town will be in charge of replacing it. He said heavy equipment cannot be moved into the area to dredge without replacing that bulkheading first.

The engineering phase contract was awarded to New Hyde Park-based M&J Engineering in September. It will cost roughly $80,000, which the two towns are splitting evenly. 

“Riverhead will be reimbursing the town of Brookhaven for our 50% share of that engineering cost,” Mr. Losquadro said.

The Riverhead Town Board appropriated $40,000 from the town’s general fund balance to cover its share of the engineering work in September.

“Stormwater runoff and road runoff don’t understand boundaries and townships,” Ms. Bonner said. “With both townships working together, it really won’t matter because it will all have been restored and ameliorated.”

Mr. Losquadro said the dredging must keep the underlying clay layer that holds the water intact. Removing built-up sediment could help address conditions that cause algae to grow.

He said an existing separator system helps “at least filter out some of the sediment and garbage.”

But often, he said, “the water just overtops and flows directly into the pond. So anything coming off the road, any of the hydrocarbons from vehicles, any sediment, road sand, salt, all of that goes unfortunately directly into the pond.”

Mr. Rothwell said runoff travels downhill along Wading River Road from Route 25A before reaching the ponds. He said Riverhead has taken responsibility for that and, in turn, will “install many storm drains all the way up to capture it.”

“The stormwater runoff is what’s harmful to the ponds and what’s hurting the aquatic life here,” he said. “We’re not drawing lines about how much and who owns the pond. It’s a collaborative effort.”

The engineering phase will determine what other changes or work may need to be completed in the future, such as raising the road or a physical separation between the road and the pond to stop direct inflow.