An estuary may be defined as a body of water partially surrounded by land, yet having a natural connection with the open sea, within which the sea water is measurably diluted with fresh water from streams and land drainage.
The south shore estuary lies between the Atlantic Beach Bridge in western Nassau County and the eastern shores of Shinnecock Bay. It lies between the barrier islands to the south and the northern bay-side shores of the towns of Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Babylon, Islip, Brookhaven, and Southampton.
It includes the northern waters entering its basin from ancient, glacial aquifers
that discharge to springs, swamps and freshwater streams intersecting urban,
suburban and undeveloped areas - yet, it also includes the salt water of the
Atlantic Ocean as it rushes in from the south through barrier island inlets.
The south shore estuary includes islands, wetlands, bottomlands and park lands,
in, and among and spreading over the lands parceled into numerous jurisdictions:
2 counties, 6 towns, 25 villages and countless places people call "home."