Rebuilding failed dams may occasionally make sense, but in most cases allowing rivers and streams to revert to their natural state will help make the region and its coastal ecosystem more healthy, resilient and sustainable.
Dam Failures
Other Streams
In addition to our work at Penataquit Creek, Bellmore Creek and West Brook, Seatuck has been involved in connectivity and restoration efforts across Long Island over the past decade as part of the River Revival Project. The following are some examples highlight the extent of this work.
West Brook
The only dam on West Brook, a major tributary of the Connetquot River, failed in 2019 and allowed the artificial pond behind it to drain. For the first time in over 100 years, the brook could once again flow naturally from its headwaters in Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park down to the tidal reaches of the Great South Bay. It is now one of a only a few free-flowing streams on Long Island. It has great ecological potential as a place where migratory fish can return and other native riverine species can once again find a home.
Bellmore Creek
Progress continues on the effort to develop plans for fish passage at the Wantagh Mill Pond. Check here for the latest updates.
Diadromous Fish
Diadromous Fish Diadromous Fish 99% of the 30,000+ fish species on Earth live exclusively in either salt or fresh water. The rest are known as “diadromous fish,” a category of unique fish that spend part of their life cycle in