Celebrating Montauk’s Floating Wetlands

Members of the Concerned Citizens of Montauk (CCOM) and East Hampton Town representatives met on the shore of Fort Pond in Montauk July 14 to unveil a floating wetlands educational sign for the Fort Pond Floating Wetlands project.

In the project, 7,200 carefully selected native plants were planted and secured into custom mats in the pond, is just one of several approaches aimed at reducing pollutant loadings in Fort Pond and Montauk’s surrounding waterbodies. 

Dsigned by Florida-based company Beemats Floating Wetlands, the roots of the plantings will uptake excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the pond as food. 

The goal is to reduce the nutrient load in the pond to lessen the extent and severity of the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that have plagued Fort Pond for years. This project was made possible by a grant from the East Hampton Town Community Preservation Fund Water Quality Improvement Program.

“CCOM looks forward to educating the Montauk community and visitors alike about the many benefits of floating wetlands for addressing the water quality issues plaguing Fort Pond,” said CCOM President Laura Tooman. “I am so thankfully for the support and enthusiasm we have received from the Town of East Hampton.”