Latest Updates
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Over the past few weeks, this 1,000 foot stretch of shoreline has been replanted with gorgeous native vegetation that improves not only Lake Agawam’s water, but all of our groundwater as well. The new plantings are lower, less dense and more effective at filtering and preventing toxic runoff than what was there before. They include Elderberry, Inkberry, Winterberry, Arrowood, American Holly and Shad.
We planted approximately 30.000 wetland species in what looks like a beach along the shoreline. When the Lake fills up, the beach will be submerged and the aquatics will remain visible above the waterline. In addition to cleansing the water, these aquatics will help retain the shoreline and inhibit the regrowth of the invasive Phragmites and Japanese Knotweed. In the spring, we will plant native grasses, fescue, wildflowers and perennials to fill out the wetlands.
For the past six years, the Conservancy has worked in partnership with the DEC, the Town Trustees, the Town Board and Village Administrations to plant bioswales, encourage sustainable landscape practices and educate homeowners about septic upgrades. In 2024, the Conservancy entered into a stewardship agreement with the Village to plant and maintain bioswales in highly flooded areas throughout the Village. The Gin Lane wetlands restoration project is our most significant contribution to date. Lake Agawam Conservancy raised $700,000 to fund it. It has cost the tax-payers nothing. The restoration was approved by DEC and the Village Board and has been reported on in the Southampton Press.
We are grateful for the partnerships and support we have had along the way. We have worked alongside local environmental leaders including Peconic Environmental Associates, Hollander Design Landscape Architects, Summerhill Landscapes, Aquatic Habitats, Terry Construction and L.K. McLean Associates.
Lake Agawam Conservancy seeks to address the root sources of Lake Agawam’s contamination, restoring water quality throughout Southampton Village.
Please contribute to Lake Agawam
We are especially thankful for our community’s ongoing support to reestablish these beautiful native wetlands we can ann enjoy in the years ahead.
With the passage of Proposition 3, Southampton Village can now install a water filtration system next to Lake Agawam, which will clean three million gallons of polluted Lake water every day. With the passage of Proposition 2, substantial funds are now available to upgrade septic systems.
The Conservancy is now responsible for maintaining eight new bioswales throughout our Village. And the Village is about to install a permeable reactive barrier to intercept polluted water from flowing directly from the Business District into the Lake. Each of these steps will purify the Lake and keep our beaches open.
2025 shines bright!
LAC
Lake Agawam Conservancy (LAC) is dedicated to reviving Lake Agawam, its watershed, and its surrounding ecosystems to protect human health and ecological vitality. The Lake’s deterioration is a symptom of the pollution that plagues all our local water bodies. Protecting this shared natural resource for future generations is of paramount importance. LAC works alongside Southampton’s community and elected officials to address the root sources of water contamination including toxic landscape chemicals and aging septic systems. LAC supports scientific monitoring of the Lake water and nature-based and scientifically innovative interventions to cleanse the Lake in the short and long term.
Eight New Bioswales
It is an exciting time for us at the Lake Agawam Conservancy: there will be beautiful new bioswales all over Southampton Village. Thanks to the Village of Southampton Board of Trustees, the Conservancy is now the steward of eight bioswales throughout the Village. Some of these bioswales have already been planted and others will be planted soon. As many of you know, Lake Agawam Conservancy has advocated for the Village to install bioswales, which are like sinks with plantings that intercept stormwater and filter out pathogens, metals, oils, and other noxious chemicals before they reach the Lake. With grant funding, local leadership, and the generosity of our members, the bioswales are now underway!
Three New Injection Wells
Lake Agawam Conservancy is thrilled to announce the installation of three injection wells that are part of a Permeable Reactive Barrier at the north end of Lake Agawam. The PRB will intercept nitrogen from septic systems and road run off that flows directly into the Lake from the Village business district. This PRB represents the culmination of five years of rigorous scientific research carried out by Dr. Christopher Gobler and his team at Stony Brook University’s Clean Water Institute, and hydrogeologists at CDM Smith engineers. Lake Agawam Conservancy partnered with Southampton Town, Southampton Village and the New York State Department of Conservation, contributing $113,700 to the project.
A film about Lake Agawam by Chuck Scarborough
“The rehabilitation of Lake Agawam will be successful due to the committed efforts of concerned citizens working with Southampton Village and Southampton Town leadership under the direction and guidance as provided by experts in aquatic and marine science. The ‘Jewel of Southampton’ will once again be available for all to enjoy”
