This Feasibility Study officially began in September 2009 when Suffolk County finalized a contract with a team of scientists, planners and engineers led by Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC (NP&V).      

The Consultant Team

Suffolk County has selected a team of specialized professionals with the direct expertise needed to complete a feasibility study which will ultimately provide guidance to manage the abundance of nuisance aquatic species in these lakes. The goal is to achieve optimal health of the lakes, which are being choked by non-native, invasive plants and to apply the techniques to other lakes in the county. Fish passage options for Upper and Lower Lakes are also being developed.  This project requires a team of specialists to collectively assess the complex problems which plague these lakes.  The Consultant Team consists of the following firms and areas of expertise:

Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC (Melville, NY)- Overall project coordination, public outreach, lake and watershed characterization, barriers to fish passage.  Managing Partner: Charles Voorhis.  Project Manager: Sara N. da Silva, Senior Environmental Scientist

Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at State University of New York (SUNY) (Stony Brook, NY) - Water Quality, bathymetry, sediment characteristics, nuisance plants, impact analysis.

B. Laing Associates, Inc. (Northport, NY) - Aquatic invasive/nuisance species characterization and control, lake restoration and permitting.

Orson Environmental Consulting (Branford, CT) - Methods for fish passage, lake system restoration, regional perspective and contacts.

Nelson & Pope, Engineers & Surveyors (Melville, NY) - Hydraulic analysis of alternative methods for fish passage, civil engineering.