LISFF / NFWF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT

In 2020, The Science Museum of Long Island recieved funding from The National Fish and Wildlife Association and the Long Island Sound Futures Fund for our Stormwater Management & ​Green Infrastructure Project at the Leeds Pond Preserve and Science Museum to Improve Water Quality in Long Island Sound (NY). The project included the design and installation of a green infrastructure demonstration on the Leeds Pond Preserve to both imporove the health of Manhasset Bay and educate the public on how to effectively mitigate stormwater runoff. The project has prevented 2,641,936 gallons of polluted stormwater from entering Manhasset Bay.

The goal of the project through various methods to harvest, channel, catch, divert and contain rainwater. The average annual rainfall in Manhasset LI is 47 inches, 9 inches more than the United States average. Just an inch of rainwater on a 2,000 sq ft roof yields 1,200 gallons of water. Nassau and Suffolk County rely on groundwater aquifers for our drinking water which makes management of our stormwater a priority. Managing our runoff, which also includes melted snow, helps prevent flooding, minimize erosion and keeps our water cleaner by managing groundwater that may contain sediment and pollutants like car fluids and fertilizers.

Several methods to collect and contain rainwater can be found on Science Museum of Long Island grounds: Rain Barrells, Rain Gardens,