Fresh Pond is the largest exposed portion of Shelter Island’s aquifer, the only source of drinking water on Shelter Island. Each year, 100 million gallons of fresh water flow through Fresh Pond and into our creeks, estuaries and bays.

Shelter Island has now been awarded $325,000 in State and Country grants for long-term deep water cleanup in the pond. The Fresh Pond Neighbors Association will continue to sample, test, and fund clean ups of surface waters. We regularly post conditions to keep everyone safe while the permananent solution is underway.

Periodic blooms are caused by high levels of phosphorus at the bottom of Fresh Pond. Blue-green algae from the deep waters can carry a supply of nutrients from the bottom up with them. This is why it is essential to clean up the bottom of the pond to insure safe conditions for recreation, for pets, and for wildlife and to keep the aquifer clear of toxic contaminants.

The equipment we we are installing will eliminate problems at the bottom of the pond and dramatically reduce nitrogen flowing into our creeks and bays. It will take a few more years of work, but we can make a permanent change for our community, our kids, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for generations to come. 

Our citizen science efforts, now in our ninth year, are supported by the NYS Federation of Lake Associations and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

With your generous support, Fresh Pond can be a beacon of hope – showing us what Shelter Islanders can do if our communities pull together.