Bishop: Mattituck Inlet Dredging To Begin In Fall

Mattituck residents who have been fearful of erosion threatening their homes for over a decade could soon see relief in sight.

Congressman Tim Bishop announced Tuesday that a $3.4 million federal project to mitigate erosion to the east of Mattituck Inlet, and to protect the integrity of the inlet itself, will commence this fall.

The dredging project is spearheaded by a United States Army Corps of Engineers program known as CAP 111 that will completely fund planning, engineering, and construction. 

The project involves siting approximately 100,000 cubic yards of material in a 20-foot wide strip approximately 4,500 feet long extending east from the eastern jetty. Approximately 90,000 cubic yards will be taken from Mattituck Inlet, widening the existing channel and dredging to a depth of negative 11 feet from mean low water.

An additional 10,000 cubic yards of material will be taken from an area of approximately 200 by 200 feet directly west of the western jetty. 

The inlet has been affected by shoaling; the dredge will guarantee safe and reliable conditions for commercial and recreational navigation in the waterway for years to come, Bishop assured.

Mattituck Inlet was not scheduled to be dredged until 2014 at the earliest, but under the CAP 111 project the dredge will be deeper and wider as well as being completed earlier.

"This project has been a top priority for Southold Town for over a decade, and I advocated strongly for it to move forward as quickly as possible to ensure the navigability of the inlet and protect the homes east of the inlet threatened by erosion," Bishop said. "Now the necessary dredging and shoreline protection will move forward at the same time, maximizing the effectiveness of federal dollars. I thank Supervisor Russell and Southold Town for their dedicated work on this partnership." 

The Mattituck CAP 111 project received approval in Washington on Friday and is expected to result in an agreement between the Town of Southold and the New York District Corps of Engineers within two to three weeks.

After the approvals are secured, design specifications of the project will begin, as well as final permitting and securing a contract for the work to be performed once seasonal environmental restrictions on dredging are lifted in September. 

Since taking office in 2003, Bishop has secured a total of $595,000 in federal funding to support a feasibility study for a CAP 111 project in Mattituck.

Once work is complete in early 2014, Southold Town and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will be responsible for operating and maintaining the mitigation measures.  

"This is a rarely-used program in New York that requires a lengthy review process, and I applaud the community for their patience as we worked to ensure that the federal government will take full responsibility for the unacceptable erosion burden its jetties placed on the property owners east of the inlet," said Bishop. "This is an important step forward both for those whose property will be protected and for those who rely on a navigable Mattituck inlet for their livelihood and recreation."