USA: Beach Restoration at Shinnecock Inlet Starts

Beach Restoration at Shinnecock Inlet Starts

Congressman Tim Bishop, NYS Senator Ken Lavalle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele announced that work to replenish the badly-eroded beaches West of Shinnecock Inlet (WOSI) and Tiana Beach began on Friday using sand dredged from Shinnecock Inlet.

The work includes a previously-approved project to restore the beach at WOSI to its pre-Hurricane Irene condition by adding 128,000 cubic yards (CY) of sand. An additional 115,000 CY will be dredged from the Inlet and placed west of the WOSI project area in the vicinity of Tiana Beach using funding secured by Senator Lavalle and Assemblyman Thiele through the NY Works Program.

Bishop said he will push for approximately 113,000 CY of additional sand to be dredged from the inlet and used to mitigate erosion to the WOSI beach caused by Superstorm Sandy, using funding Bishop has already secured through the Corps’ Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies program.

Sandy made a bad situation at WOSI even worse, and I have requested that the Army Corps to seek an expansion of the existing contract with the dredging company to deliver more sand while the dredge is operating in the area,” said Congressman Bishop.

All work will be performed under the supervision of the US Army Corps of Engineers by Great Lakes Dock and Dredge of Illinois. A cutter-head dredge named “Illinois” arrived at Shinnecock Inlet this week after completing work to close a breach in the barrier island near Cupsogue County Park on Tuesday.

According to the Army Corps, all work is expected to be completed within three weeks, weather permitting.

This vital work will protect the nearly 500 jobs that are supported by the small businesses and marine infrastructure in the WOSI area and ensure continued safe access to New York’s second-busiest fishing port,” said Congressman Bishop. “Leveraging NY Works funds to repair Tiana beach while the dredge is in the area ensures that taxpayers can expect extra bang for their buck with the federal-state partnership on this work.”

This work is now, more than ever, critically important to protect our shoreline from further erosion,” said Senator Ken Lavalle.

The protection of the barrier beach west of the Shinnecock Inlet is critical to public safety and the economy of the East End of Long Island as the home to one of the largest commercial fishing ports in New York State as well as world class parklands. The State and Federal governments have historically cooperated to keep the inlet open and nourish the protective dunes and beach. I am pleased that by working together after the severe impacts of Sandy that this expanded project is now moving forward. My thanks to Congressman Bishop and Governor Cuomo for the help they have given us,” said Assemblyman Fred Thiele.

This replenishment work is an outstanding example of every level of government working together to address a critical local need. I thank all of our representatives for their commitment to making this project happen, and for their swift action in expanding the scope of the work in response to the damage sustained by Hurricane Sandy,” said Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst.

[mappress]

Press Release, December 2, 2012