The Great Patchogue Lake Fish Passage Project seeks to reconnect the Patchogue River at its primary, head-of-tide barrier in the Village of Patchogue, with a focus on moving river herring and American eel. The project will result in a shovel-ready design that will provide the necessary readiness to pursue future construction funding.

River herring have been documented below the tidal barrier annually since 2006, and American eel have been documented for the past few migration seasons. It’s one of only about 30 streams on Long Island where remnant runs of the ecologically valuable fish still exist.

Access to the 40-acre Patchogue Lake, as well as the upstream riverine habitat and 26-acre Canaan Lake (where fish passage already exists), would provide freshwater habitat for river herring and eel. By fostering the growth of the river’s diadromous fish, the project seeks to complement restoration efforts on the neighboring Swan River (where a nature-like fishway was recently completed) and provide momentum for overall restoration efforts throughout the South Shore Estuary Reserve.