I was very pleased to read Howard Husock’s piece on undamming Blind Brook in your December 2 issue, but we need to accomplish more than replacing one dam. It is crystal clear the Brook is a source of both renewal and possible new fish spawning; but, unfortunately, also it is still a flooding and ecological disaster zone for Indian Village and Milton Harbor. 

The budget to clean up Rye Marina and Milton Harbor is huge due to pesticides flowing from the Brook, contaminating the silt. Implement a plan to rid our waterway of these contaminants from upriver, saving Rye millions of dollars each year. 

There was a 20+ deep silt catch basin at the base of Blind Brook and the harbor. Bring it back. Dredge the harbor in an ecologically positive manner. Rebuild larger or even new Hen Islands. Reconnect the “Hen’s” and restore them to their pre-hurricanes state.

The Brook and Milton Harbor require a thorough, open-minded study of possible alternatives to solve these two major problems.

There is precedent for creating “natural habitat” islands and planting natural species of all types; and, it is much less expensive to dredge and keep the clean silt right here in the harbor to bolster and beautify our shorelines and ensure adequate boat anchorage.

It is too expensive to truck and barge silt from our multiple L.I. Sound shores to landfill or dump the silt in the middle of the Sound.

Did you know that Rye created a few, new, fantastic golf holes years ago at Rye Golf Club with silt from the harbor? 

Let’s show our tenacity and creativity in addressing a series of known problems and turn them into new rejuvenating opportunities for Rye’s peaceful enjoyment of Blind Brook and Milton Harbor.     

—Jan Endresen