Lake Ronkonkoma has long been a talking point on clean water, accessible and presentable public spaces, and ecological care and maintenance.
While the history of Lake lives fondly in the memories of generations’ past, the recent state of the Lake has left much to be desired. What was once a center for recreation and one of the hallmarks of a Suffolk County summer was reduced to a trash-filled kettle hole that was so mishandled by local officials that many are currently unaware of how fondly this Lake was once looked upon.
Just as the Lake falls in the center of the Venn Diagram of good public stewardship of our shared spaces, the Lake also falls in the geographic center of Long Island, bordering Smithtown, Brookhaven and Islip, the latter two of which are the Island’s most populous townships.
As a result, to usher in Water Quality Month at the tail end of Lake Appreciation Month, officials from all three townships, various offices of Suffolk County, and community organizations with vested interests convened to announce the creation of a new County-level post: Suffolk County ‘Lake Keeper.’
“We knew we had to clean up this treasured body of water and restore it to its former glory,” said County Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon) at an August 1 press conference on the northwest shore of the Lake at Lake Ronkonkoma County Park.
The idea of the post is similar to that of a caretaker or groundskeeper, but with an added emphasis of ecological expertise and understanding more than just cleanup and presentation.
Bellone said that the Keeper is “going to be somebody who is passionate and dedicated enough. Expertise is great, but to me, it’s irreplaceable to someone who cares and gets it, and really wants to do a great job for the environment.”
Bellone outlined the primary responsibilities of the position: “The Lake Keeper will work to identify and secure federal, state, and local grants for projects that will directly benefit Lake Ronkonkoma, along with being tasked with implementing projects identified in the Lake Ronkonkoma Watershed Management Plan. These projects include preventing illegal dumping and discharges, leading beach cleanups with the local community, and conducting water quality testing to drive science-based analysis of the Lake. The Lake Keeper will work with all community organizations, our local municipal partners, county, and state officials, who have all prioritized the cleanup and restoration of Lake Ronkonkoma.”
Bellone also outlined recent efforts to curb nitrogen pollution and algal blooms in the Lake, as well as controlling stormwater runoff, stabilizing the Canadian geese population, and implementing and upgrading septic systems for the park and nearby town parks.
Legislator Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) of the Tenth District took the podium after Executive Bellone. The Tenth District encompasses the majority of the Islip border of the Lake. She thanked several members and groups involved in the restoration of the Lake and spoke of how recent generations have not been able to enjoy the Lake to its fullest potential.
“My son took a lifeguard test last week and he said: ‘Mom, I can’t believe you swam in that [Lake] as a kid.’ I said that it wasn’t like that when we were kids. We really do hope we can bring back the water quality to Lake Ronkonkoma, so generations to come can enjoy the lake just as we did when we were kids.”
Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) of the Twelfth District spoke after Legislator Bergin. The Twelfth District contains the entire Smithtown and Brookhaven borders of the Lake.
“This Lake is the upper glacial layer of our aquifer, and we know, with all our technology and equipment, what’s in it, we know what’s down there. This Lake Keeper position will be our savior and will also only cost us money for two years. After that, it’s their responsibility to get grants to fund their salary.”
Kennedy also spoke of her requests for the prospective Lake Keeper, in that the candidate must have experience dealing with freshwater systems and understanding of algae and nitrogen pollution and how it affects the ecosystem.
Evelyn Vollgraff, co-founder of the Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group, outlined the group’s efforts over the last seven years to restore the Lake:
“Because people are coming to the Lake and because they’re taking pride in it and they see that it’s clean, they’re keeping it clean. There is no longer tons of garbage and debris. There’s always somebody that throws away a beer bottle, but instead of finding five hundred, we’re finding five.”
Kevin Hyms, of the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce, said: “I first came down here in my teens in the 1960s and 1970s and it was a great swimming spot. The Lake has hundreds of years of history, and we’d like to restore that and make this a thriving place for recreation and economic stimulus. There would be economic advantages to bringing back the Lake that would benefit the region as well.”
Sal Napolitano, of the Greater Ronkonkoma Civic Association: “We know that the Lake is a group effort, so we’re reaching out to the other Civics and finding ways to work together and find similar ideas to fix the Lake. We’re happy to do what we can to help out.”
The position of Lake Keeper will pay between $77,099 and $98,736 per year and will be funded by the County for the first two years. The Keeper himself/herself will need to fund his/her salary through grants.
The event was also attended by Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset); John DiLeonardo and Patricia Amendolia of Humane Long Island; Larry Farell, Greater Ronkonkoma Civic Association; Jason Smagin, Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Parks; Peter Scully, Deputy County Executive; Sarah Lansdale, Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning; Matt Balkam, Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group; and George Schramm, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Association.
Islip Town Supervisor candidate Ken Colón (D-Brentwood) also attended as a spectator.
The last several years have been beneficial to Long Island’s largest freshwater lake. It is the hope of the community and elected officials involved that the Lake Keeper will only keep the Lake on the path to restoration, preferably to its recreational heyday.
