Politics & Government

Lake Ronkonkoma is First Long Island Lake Added to List of State's Inland Waterways

Governor signs law making lake eligible for water-front revitalization funding.

New York State Assemblywoman Ginny Fields passed legislation to aid in the next step of the revitalization of Lake Ronkonkoma.

Governor David Paterson signed the law today, allowing for Lake Ronkonkoma to be included on New York State's list of inland waterways, making the water-front property eligible for revitalization funding.

"Lake Ronkonkoma is overdue for a makeover," Assemblywoman Fields said today in a statement handed out at a press-conference on the shoreline of the lake. "The lake has such a rich history from the Native American tribes that shared its shoreline, its unique colonial heritage, the abundance of myths and legends regarding the lake, to the time spent serving as a summer escape for wealthy visitors.

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"There is tremendous potential in highlighting the great resources provided by Lake Ronkonkoma, including increasing visitors to the area, expanding access to many available recreational activities, and encouraging economic development and additional preservation around the lake."

Lake Ronkomoa is Long Island's largest freshwater lake, and the first on Long Island to be added to the state list, which includes bodies of water such as Big Tupper, Black, Canadaigua, Cayuga, Champlain, Oneida and many others.

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The lake has a circumference of 2 miles and is roughly .65 miles across on average. For years, the area surrounding the lake was a tourist attraction and vacation spot, but by the 1960s that changed. Aside from being the focal point of ghost stories every now and then, the lake has become just another common part of the community, which reaches parts of the Towns of Islip, Brookhaven and Smithtown.

Local residents and civic leaders have proposed the idea of a Lake Walk Tour (Sachem Patch will feature this tour next week), which would incorporate a unified park, allowing residents to travel a path connecting shoreline parks, historical sites, gazebos, pavilions, fishing piers and other attractions. 

Suffolk County Legislator John M. Kennedy is pleased with the partnership of various government levels to get this project underway.

"We're joining together at the local level to get the job done for something that is long deserved and long overdue," he said. "This is a critical step towards bringing us forward."

For Islip Town Councilwoman Trish Birgin the lake is a reminder of her childhood and it's changed drastically since then.

"This lake is near and dear to my heart," she said. "I'm very hopeful we'll be able to see the rebirth of this area and this lake."

"This is just a small portion of what we have planned for Lake Ronkonkoma," said George Schramm, the president of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization. "The goals we see here are to increase commerce, increase jobs and make it a better place to live for everyone. The lake for obvious reasons becomes the focal point of revitalization."


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