The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is initiating a $3 million project to dredge Mattituck Harbor.
Work will begin Oct. 1 and be done by Seacoast Construction, a West Sayville based marine contractor. The project is expected to be complete in early November, Southold Supervisor Al Krupski said at Tuesday’s Town Board work session.
Congressman Nick LaLota was helpful in getting the funding for this project, Mr. Krupski noted, adding that the dredging will make the waterway safer and “navigable.”
“There will be disruption for that month,” the supervisor said. “We want to make sure people are aware, if they’re coming in and out, because there’s going to be big barges in the breakwater, in the mouth of it, and then they’re going to be working on it inside the channel so [boaters] just have to be mindful. It’s no different than a road paving project; there’s inconveniences, but once it’s done, you’re very happy.”
Multiple stakeholders, including representatives of the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce, Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association, Mattituck Park District — as well as former Town Trustee Jim King, who lives on the harbor — were on hand at the work session to ask the contractor how the dredging operation would impact the broader community.
“Everybody had to be involved and have input,” Mr. Krupski said.
Crews will remove 9,985 cubic yards of sediment during the dredging, officials said in a press release. That material will be transported by barge for processing at the Beneficial Dredge Facility in Staten Island and will be used for landfill cover, according to Army Corps spokesman James D’Ambrosio.
The harbor – which houses a federal anchorage and several marinas — is the only one on the north shore between Greenport and Port Jefferson and serves as a port of refuge during severe storms on Long Island Sound. It also supports recreational boating and has not been dredged in several decades.
Jeff Strong, owner of two marinas alongside Mattituck Inlet, said he has been working for five years to help push the project forward, advocating for its benefits with congressmen, town supervisors and other lawmakers.
The dredging, which will ensure the waterway is at least seven feet deep at low tide, per federal mandate, could help attract more commercial and recreational boaters to the North Fork and boost the local economy, Mr. Strong said in a recent interview. It will also allow larger boats to feel safe navigating the harbor.
Mattituck Park District Commissioner Kevin Byrne said the current project won’t address sand buildup from Long Island Sound at the mouth of the inlet. The park district manages Soundfront beaches on either side of the inlet.
Mr. Byrne said sand has built up along the edge of a jetty on Breakwater Beach and has also led to accelerated erosion at Bailie Beach. He said the eastern beach is in “imminent danger of breach.”
“Meaning the water from the Sound will rise but over the pieces of land and directly into the inlet,” Mr. Byrne said. “In that eventuality, Mattituck inlet as we know it would cease to exist.”
Mr. Byrne said he would like the Army Corps to also dredge the mouth of the channel. He said he was told this would be in their budget for “the next cycle.”
“This is a major, major situation and cannot wait another two years to be addressed,” Mr. Byrne said. “We’re one nor’easter away from having a real mess on our hands.”
Mr. Byrne said he planned to attend Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association meeting at Veterans Park on Monday, Sept. 30, where they will discuss coastal resilience, to “draw attention to this particular problem.”
The mouth of the channel was last dredged in 2014, resulting in 100,000 cubic yards of sand being added at Baillie Beach Park, according to Army Corps documents.
“It’s important that we maintain our waterways,” Mr. Krupski said. “It’s very expensive, but on the other hand, this is a big part of our economy and our culture out here and it’s good to have it maintained properly.”