About Our Association

The Fresh Pond Neighbors Association (FPNA) is a charitable 501 C(3) organization committed to the health of Fresh Pond, Shelter Island’s largest freshwater lake and a window into its aquifer.

We actively partner with other community associations and the town to advocate for improving the quality of the water on Shelter Island.

Some of us are residents of the Fresh Pond neighborhood, while many others regularly spend time at the pond to swim, fish or watch the sunset. We came together in 2016 after noticing changes in the water quality, and seeking answers. We discovered that New York state has an association of groups like ours, the New York State Federation of Lake Associations, which we joined in 2018. 

The Federation trained our members to gather data about the changes in our water. Spring through fall each year, our citizen scientists head out in kayaks and rowboats to gather water bi-weekly samples as part of  the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program. We send the samples to a state lab, which has given us long-term data on the pond’s health that is helping to guide our work. 

We have co-sponsored a feasibility study with an engineer to learn how  Fresh Pond can again be a clean and healthy ecosystem for year-round recreation.  By filtering pond-bottom waters, we can restore the pond’s health, safety, and natural beauty, improve water quality in the aquifer and remove nitrogen flowing into our creeks and bays.  

While this restoration program is getting underway, Fresh Pond Neighbors Association raised money to hire a wetlands management firm to remove potentially harmful blooms and weeds from shoreline areas where people enter the pond. We are proud to have completed our first annual clean up, July 16th and 17th 2024. Pond clarity has nearly tripled to almost 3 meters of depth since that time. Enjoy your pond, Shelter Island! 

We have raised funds for an engineer to carefully study the ecology of the pond and to design the most effective long-term remediation project.  In 2022, the town of Shelter Island engineering deparment working with engineers from Lombardo Associates, Inc. developed full scale plans, In Spring 2024 the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation approved those plans and granted necessary permits. The town has now applied to both Suffolk County and New York State for grant funding for installation.

Funds to date have come from small private contributions, the town’s Water Quality Improvement program (WQI) and a feasibility study grant that we received, along with the town, from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2020.

If you would like more information, please contact us at freshpondsi@gmail.com.

FPNA Officers

James Eklund, Peter Grand: Co-Presidents

Deborah Grayson: Secretary

Jerri Mayer: Treasurer

Erland Zygmuntovich: Officer at large