There's something in the water Part I

Long Island, as most people are aware, is an island, the largest in the contiguous United States — a nearly 120-long, 1,400-square-mile spit of sand, parkway and suburb extending east from Manhattan into the Atlantic Ocean. Because the Island is so closely associated with New York City, many people think it’s a peninsula. But all that connects us to the mainland is bridges and tunnels.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the land on Long Island: how to develop it, how to preserve it, where to spend our time on it, how it seems to be shrinking. But it’s the water that makes an island and island.

In the coming weeks, the Herald will be wading, journalistically speaking, into the waters all around us. We’ll look at the water we drink — the names of our towns and hamlets, after all, are emblazoned on their water towers. We’ll examine the various issues our use of water raises for all of us — from drainage to sewage to conservation to wildlife — and journey back in time to explore Long Island’s hard-working waterfronts. We’ll survey local seafood eateries, the fishing fleet, peer over the shoulders of artists who focus on our oceans, and tell you about the best places to splash around and stay cool during the summer months: beaches, bays, pools, kayaking schools, sprinkler parks.

It’s our hope that this series will offer some perspective on a defining facet of our communities that is all too often ignored, and enhance Long Islanders’ understanding of the element that literally surrounds us.

We hope you’ll dive in with us. The water’s fine.

Look for Part II of the Herald series, Water, in the next issue of your Herald newspaper, July 14.