South Valley Stream is a hamlet of approximately 6,000 people along the southwestern edge of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, NY. Several creeks from Jamaica Bay weave north into the South Valley Stream community area. During Superstorm Sandy, approximately 1,600 residential properties were impacted by severe flooding from these creeks, and since the storm many of the banks along the Valley Stream shoreline have continued to erode. Localized flooding continues to occur on a frequent basis. This project entailed shoreline improvements at two sites located within South Valley Stream that were identified through a community driven process with the help of The NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) Program. 

Site 1 implemented a natural shoreline restoration project along ‘The Path’ that is intended to manage tidal flow along Valley Stream through the creation of an elevated pathway along the banks and integrating a “living shoreline.”  Site 2 included the replacement of an existing deteriorated timber bulkhead with a new vinyl bulkhead at a higher elevation to make the site more resilient to future storm events.  The adjacent Brook Road Park is the only playground and park within the Mill Brook portion of the community.  Path to the park connects both sites and provides the community with an interactive way to strengthen community ties.