The Breach at Old Inlet, Meeting

Join in on an exchange of perspectives
  and receive the latest information regarding

The Breach at Old Inlet (Part II)

Saturday, March 23, 2013

12:30 pm

Bellport Middle School Auditorium

37 Kraemer Street

Bellport, NY 11713

Be informed

 

Guest Speakers

Christopher Soller,  Superintendent Fire Island National Seashore

 

Mr. Soller will  provide a brief update of the Seashore's involvement in the implementation of a 1997 multi-agency Breach Contingency Plan (BCP). This plan calls for the immediate filling of breaches on Fire Island which do not occur in federally-designated wilderness. For a breach within the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, a more conservative response is prescribed,and includes inter-agency monitoring of the behavior of the breach, while initially allowing it to close naturally. If the breach is determined to have adverse impacts on water levels in surrounding communities, it will be closed immediately. Supt. Soller will share data gathered by the National Park Service and partner agencies at the breach at Old Inlet. FINS

 

Kevin McAllister, President, Peconic Baykeeper

  

Mr. McAllister, president of Peconic Baykeepers, will provide a perspective with regard to the ecological advantages of additional sustained flow between the ocean and Great South Bay.

Peconic Baykeeper is the only independent not-for-profit advocate solely dedicated to the protection and improvement of the aquatic ecosystems of Peconic and South Shore estuaries of Long Island. As sprawl development continues to harden the island's landscape, pollution  threatens the vitality and health of our bays. Their recovery depends on kinds of enlightened costal management policies and responsible development practices that can be adopted when citizens and communities are informed and engaged in decision making. 

Charlie Flagg, Ph.D, Research Professor, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences(SoMAS) at Stony Brook SoMAS

  

Prof. Flagg will share his perspective as a research scientist and will provide a slide presentation of images of the breach at Old Inlet taken during his numerous observation flights over the area. Mr. Flagg has been studying the circulation of the costal lagoons of southern Long Island using a combination of numerical modeling and observation. Currently, he is looking at the impact that breaches in Fire Island might have on circulation, sea level, and salinity distribution in Great South Bay. Pof. Flagg will share data collected at the Bellport marina and by the SoMAS research buoy in Great South Bay that show some noticeable changes since Sandy. Most Recent Report

 

Joseph Gagliano, Chairman, Bellport Village Waterfront Commission 

 

Mr. Gagliano will share his perspective as it relates to the actual effects being experienced along the Bellport Village shoreline post Sandy. Bellport Village lies directly opposite the breach on Fire Island less then two miles away.

Additional guests include:

 

Representatives from shoreline communities, municipalities, and organizations who will share their perspectives with regard to the actual effects that the breach is having on the shoreline post breach.

 

Shoreline residents and property owners are urged to attend and will have an opportunity to share their perspectives during the public comment period (60 seconds each)

 

Please arrive 25 minutes early if you wish to sign up for the public comment period.

FYI Kayakers

Blueway Stakeholder's Workshop
When: Thu, April 4, 6pm – 8pm
Where: Freeport Recreation Center 130 E. Merrick Road
Description:  The South Shore Blueway Trail Project Stakeholder's Meeting Discuss locations for launch sites between Hempstead Bays and South Oyster Bay, ways to improve access to the water, and strategies for improving water safety.

http://www.southshoreblueway.com/home

South Shore Blueway

A project to plan and develop a new network of water access in the western portion of the South Shore Estuary, identifying put-in sites on the Hempstead Bays and South Oyster Bay and routes best suited for human-powered boating.

Heckscher beach clean up.

Damage to seawall

Why would ten people go to the beach on a day when
both the air and water temperature were in the high 30’s?

I’ll tell you why… Because it needed to be done.  Hurricane Sandy
changed the underwater landscape of Long Island. It deposited all types of underwater hazards where there were none before.

This is why on Saturday March 2^nd, members of LIBAG and the Long Island
Windsurfing Group performed a search grid at three beaches located in
Heckscher State Park. With the assistance of David Auguste, the Park
Director, of Heckscher State Park; we searched for, located, removed
where possible, or marked any underwater hazards to park users with buoys. This type of work is necessary if these beaches are going to be open to
swimmers, windsurfers, SUP’s, kayaks, or and boats this season.

The beach in front of field 7 [the traditional windsurfing beach] is
actually in better shape than we have seen it in years. But the “sea
wall” at the water’s edge of the parking lot needs some serious
repairs. Mr. Auguste met with the State engineers about possible
solutions. So until we can figure out a way to close off the damaged
portion of the lot from the public, that beach is closed. We are in
contact with a State bonded heavy equipment contractor, who is willing to do the work. However the contract must go through the States biding process. Hopefully we will have some sort of resolution, or solution soon.

The East Swimming Beach also looked well, and all hazards were easily
removed with just manpower.

The West Swimming Beach at field 6 is the new windsurfing venue until
further notice.
There are several things to note:
1-      This beach is not all soft sand. It is rocky, contains shell beds, and
even a reef which will have to be marked. Wear your booties; this is
not a barefoot beach.
2-     Please respect the Park’s request to stay away from the lifeguard shack. It is leaning on its side, so you can’t miss it.

On our way home we surveyed the dredging and sand moving operations
taking place at Fire Island Inlet. According to George Gorman, Jr.
acting Regional Director Long Island New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation and Ron Kluesener, Chief of
Staff, T/O Babylon:

As of right now all of Robert Moses or Fire Island is closed.

Jones Island; from Sore Thumb to just west of TOBAY is an active work zone. Dredges, giant dump trucks, pay loaders, and outflow pipes are working 24 hours a day 6 days a week in an attempt to reopen the park.
Just stay out of their way, and let them do their job.
They are attempting to dredge and move sand from FI Inlet to build
dunes from TOBAY through the east side of Gilgo, and  to repair the east bound
lanes of Ocean Parkway. There is a pipeline from the Inlet to the west
supplemented by trucks so the sand can be placed further west than the
pipeline can take it.
There is also a project moving sand onto the Robert Moses beaches as
well as to repair the roadway circle at the Pencil.

The US Army Corps of Engineers. USACE. Has additional plans to dredge more sand  in an effort to widen and raise the elevation of the beach from TOBAY east. This project is fully funded by USACE, and hopefully will happen before Summer. But more than likely Plover nesting, permit delays and storms like the Nor’ Easter we had this week, could all cause potential delays that could push these projects to the Fall. We ask for your patience.

So until further notice stay clear of the work from RM, through TOBAY. Let the USACE do their jobs, and with a little luck we will have the beaches opened by Labor Day. Let’s remember, we still have access to Jones Beach; which is currently open.

And more importantly when the authorities call on us for help; 

let’s rise to the task and show up.

Those of you participated in this clean up...

we can’t thank you enough.

Members of LIBAG and the Long Island Windsurfing Group, with Heckscher State Park Director David Auguste.