PRESS RELEASE
February 05, 2020
Contact: Connie Conway
(631) 702-1743
The Federal Government has positioned a dredge near the east end of Dune Road in Hampton Bays to rebuild the beach and dune that has repeatedly washed away in recent storms. The US Army Corps of Engineers plan will pump 569,000 cubic yards of sand onto the beach during the next month to bring the beach and dune up to the designed standard of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The West of Shinnecock Inlet (WOSI) emergency replenishment project will restore the beach and dune that sits opposite the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Dock. This area first experienced problems last October and was restored several times by smaller replenishment efforts by State DOT, Suffolk County DPW and Southampton Highway crews but subsequent storms washed away those efforts and the area remained vulnerable.
This WOSI project will be followed by the FIMP project, the Fire Island to Montauk Point Plan that will likely be signed this spring. Under the FIMP plan, the project design will be maintained for 30 years if repairs are needed due to a storm event, the dredge could be dispatched again.
The east end of Dune Road is home to three restaurants, the second largest commercial fishing dock in New York State, a public beach and a County park. Dune Road is on a vital barrier island that protects the mainland during storms. “We have worked hard over the past few months to hold back the tide and prevent a catastrophic breach in this area,” said Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman. “A much larger effort was needed, well beyond our local capacity. We reached out for federal assistance and I want to thank Sen. Schumer and Congressman Zeldin for calling on the US Army Corps of Engineers to expedite this emergency project.”
Dredging should begin Monday, February 10, 2020.
