Jamiaca Bay Complex

Jamaica Bay
With its 9,100 acre National Wildlife Refuge, the bay includes some of the Estuary's finest habitat. But edged by Queens and Brooklyn, the Bay has problems caused by New York's antiquated sewage disposal plants and a lack of disposal facilities for pleasure boats. Baykeeper's effort to force updating of sewage plants, and its support for a pumpout boat program starting in 2004 are helping clean up the bay. The Jamaica Bay program is modeled after one operated by Long Island Soundkeeper, that services the Sound with four pump out boats. The $100,000 needed to purchase the Jamaica Bay pump out boat and operate it for several years, came as the result of a $4.2 million lawsuit settlement against the City of New York led by the Soundkeeper, and in which Baykeeper was also a plaintiff. The city was found guilty of being out of compliance with their sewage plant discharge permits for nitrogen into the East River and Jamaica Bay. Currently, $100,000 is also being provided to Soundkeeper to operate their Long Island Sound pump out program. Recent studies show that much of the Bay's habitat could be destroyed by rising waters caused by climate change within a few decades.

Tributaries of Jamaica Bay (from west to east)

• Paerdegat Basin (Creek)
  Jamaica Bay Tributary. Serious New York City sewage plant violations have been observed here.

• Fresh Creek
  Jamaica Bay Tributary.

• Old Mill
  Jamaica Bay Tributary

• Bergen Creek
  Jamaica Bay Tributary.

• Cornell Creek
  Jamaica Bay Tributary.

• Hassock Creek
  Jamaica Bay Tributary.

• Sheepshead Bay
  Part of Jamaica Bay, located at the former, - now filled in, eastern mouth of Coney Island Creek.