Peconic Bay
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The Peconic Bay is the parent name for two bays (Great Peconic Bay and Little Peconic Bay) between the North Fork and South Fork of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is separated from Gardiners Bay by Shelter Island.
DescriptionEdit
Peconic Bay is divided by Robins Island into the Great Peconic Bay on the west and Little Peconic Bay on the east.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The west end of Great Peconic Bay is also called Flanders Bay. Great Peconic is a shallow bay, less than Template:Convert deep, while Little Peconic reaches depths of over Template:Convert. The Shinnecock Canal provides access from the Great Peconic Bay to Shinnecock Bay. The two Peconic Bays are often collectively referred to as "the Peconics".
The Peconics are a tidal estuary system fed at the western end by the Peconic River.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Other notable tidal estuary creeks which provide brackish water to the system are Meeting House Creek, Brushes Creek, James Creek, and Deep Hole Creek on the North Fork. These and others bring lesser salinity to the water compared to the Atlantic Ocean. For that reason, the clams, oysters and bay scallops were numerous for generations since they require brackish water and the bountiful phyto and zooplankton which give the system its first tier of life. Reseeding of shellfish in 2005 and 2006 and leasing of the bottom to commercial farmers for clams and oysters have given rise to hope for the ecosystem.<ref name=":1" />
The winter flounder fishing usually caught in the spring has all but collapsed, but fluke (summer flounder), bluefish, porgy (scup) and some northern weakfish are to be found, using clams, squid and spearing for bait. Snappers (young spawned bluefish of the year) give youngsters a real thrill in late summer. August is a time of blue claw crabbing and recent catches 2006 and 2007 in the inlets and creeks have been bountiful.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
A boaters' paradise for its calm waters in summer and fresh sou'westers in late afternoon for sailing has become a popular vacation spot for New Yorkers and East coasters.<ref name=":1" />
Regional influenceEdit
Peconic Bay gives its name to the proposed Peconic County, which would comprise the eastern portion of existing Suffolk County surrounding Peconic Bay and would include the five easternmost towns: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, and Southold.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":3">Voters Vs. Politicians On Peconic County - East Hampton Star - March 5, 1998Template:Dead link</ref> While this movement to split Suffolk County along economic lines (the western half is more suburban in character, while the eastern half is more rural) has a long history, it has not gained significant traction in Albany since 1997, when the New York State Legislature refused to allow it to separate from Suffolk County.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Peconic Bay Anglers Template:Webarchive- A fishing club dedicated to anglers of the Peconic Bays and surrounding waters.
- Images Template:Webarchive
- Nautical chart of Great Peconic Bay