Crab Creek

Located on Shelter Island, Crab Creek is one of the more aesthetically pristine and biologically productive shallow water creek complexes in the Peconic Bay Estuary system. Suffolk County Department of Public Works, on behalf of the Town of Shelter Island, had proposed a significant dredging project that would have carved open the shallow creek bottom. If the project had been permitted, the ecological health of the creek would have been lost forever.

Following an extensive advocacy effort which included researching water quality monitoring data, conducting biological site assessments and rallying the citizens of Shelter Island, the Baykeeper successfully moved government officials to abandon the project.

Our success in challenging this issue head-on will have a far reaching effect on similar dredging projects proposed for other creeks and water bodies throughout the estuary.