Coastal Runoff in New York
A Report From Coast Alliance
Introduction

Water pollution continues to deprive coastal economies of millions of dollars that might otherwise be generated by tourism, fishing, and wildlife watching along America's waterways.  Wildlife-associated recreation in New York brings in 3.8 billion dollars annually.  Sport-fishers alone spent $1.3 billion, ranking New York sixth among coastal states in economic benefits from sport-fishing.

In 1997, commercial fishermen in New York landed 60 million  pounds of fish valued at $96.8 million at the dock. 

According to data from the National Shellfish Registry, over 93 thousand acres of potential shellfishing beds were closed in New York in 1995, the most recent year for which data are available.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), polluted runoff contributed to 100 percent of these closures.

New York has lost 60 percent of its wetlands since the 1780’s according to EPA.

Water quality-based shellfish closures and wetland loss will likely worsen as more people settle in coastal areas.  It is projected that New York's already huge coastal population will increase by 7 percent in the 20 years between 1990 and 2010 from 14.9 million to 15.9 million people.  In New York, 84 percent of the population lives on the coast.

Already, with the current coastal population size, degradation of water quality is undeniable.  This situation can only worsen as population increases, unless a new system is put in place.

  Coastal Runoff Program

The Coastal Runoff Program requires enforceable measures to address these problems. States will be required to finalize runoff control plans by December, 1999. New York's Coastal Runoff Plan has been conditionally approved by NOAA and EPA. The agencies did not fully approve the plan due to serious deficiencies. NOAA and EPA have imposed a series of conditions on the state which must be met. If the state meets the conditions, it stands to receive additional federal funds to implement the program. 

In New York, the Department of  State, Division of Coastal Resources and Waterfront Revitalization and the Department of Environmental Conservation are charged with implementing the coastal runoff program. 

Runoff is a major source of pollution in New York.  The  conditions placed on New York's Plan are listed below. Descriptions of control measures to address each pollution source are given in Appendix B.

  Conditions for New York's Coastal Runoff Program Imposed by NOAA and EPA

1. Improve management measures for large and small feedlots, and develop a strategy to implement agricultural management measures throughout the coastal zone.

2. Revise the State Uniform Fire Prevention Code to address runoff from erosion of sediment and construction related chemicals.

3. Include management measures for watershed protection and existing development.

4. Include provisions to reduce nitrogen loadings from individual sewage systems by 50 percent in nitrogen limited waters.

5. Include provisions for inspection of on-site disposal systems to determine if they are properly functioning.

6. Implement management measures for roads, highways and bridges to address local roads.

7. Modify marina and recreational boating programs to conform with stormwater management measures.

8. Ensure implementation of management measures to address water quality and habitat in existing channels and eliminate or revise exemptions that preclude the state from fully implementing the management measures from dams.

9. Establish a process to identify critical coastal areas and to continue to revise management measures where necessary.

10. Develop a monitoring plan to assess the success of the program.

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Concerning The New York Bight
(The Clean Ocean and Shore Trust)