When the local community cares about the environment, great things can happen. Our volunteers dedicate countless hours and unbelievable effort toward keeping our bays, beaches, and waterways clean – and the results really speak for themselves.
When the local community cares about the environment, great things can happen. Our volunteers dedicate countless hours and unbelievable effort toward keeping our bays, beaches, and waterways clean – and the results really speak for themselves.
The Importance of Our Bays
Long Island is known for having some of the most beautiful white sand beaches. But few people know the importance of the bays that lie between these barrier-island beaches and our waterfront communities like Oceanside, Freeport and Merrick. These western bays of Nassau County are the home to hundreds of species of marine life. Sea birds, fish, mammals and crustaceans of all types live in our protected bays. In fact, the EPA calls our bays ‘The Nursery of The Ocean’ where as much as 75% of ocean species visit our bays annually to spawn and raise their young. This was once a great area to fish, and is still a beautiful area to boat, water ski and kayak. And, unlike the Great South Bay which does not have our smaller bay islands, our western bays protect Nassau County homes from damaging and deadly storm surges.
The Problem with Trash in Our Bays
Our back bays are under attack!
For decades, Nassau County street storm drains have been dumping their untreated runoff—and the trash and chemicals it contains—directly into our bays. From as far north as Westbury, each time it rains, street litter, cigarette butts, lawn fertilizer, car and truck oil and grease, asbestos from brake pads, as well as dog waste, all runs—unfiltered–into our bays. What floats becomes an eye sore as shoreline litter. What doesn’t float endangers marine life, impacts the fishing/clamming industry, and can impact our health.
What SPLASH is Doing to Save the Bays
Operation SPLASH volunteers have rescued more than 3,000,000 pounds of trash from our bays, beaches, and waterways. We start this, our 32nd year, with six boats across seven chapters patrolling our south shore waters from East Rockaway to Massapequa. Our boat captains and crew members volunteer their time to pluck trash and marine debris from the water, our bay islands, and our beautiful beaches. Operating from March through November, our boats collect some 200,000 pounds each year.
What You Can Do to Help
- Donate to help us fuel and maintain our boats
- Become a SPLASH member and an advocate for our south shore waterways
- Volunteer to be a crew member (even if just once)