Today, Congressman Tim Bishop, Senator Charles Schumer and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy announced that an agreement has been reached to allow Moriches Inlet to be dredged this year, while the sand clogging the Inlet will be used to renourish Cupsogue Beach and Smith Point Park. Work is scheduled to begin in early November.

Suffolk County was granted a total of $11.1 million in funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) to repair damage to Smith Point and Cupsogue that occurred during a 2007 Nor’easter. Normally, the borrow site for the sand would be specific borrow sites within the Atlantic Ocean. However, Bishop and Schumer proposed using the Moriches Inlet as the borrow site in an effort to make the best use of scarce resources and provide for safe navigation of the inlet. Without this arrangement, there would not have been federal funding available to dredge Moriches until October of 2009.

“This is a win-win for Suffolk County taxpayers,” Congressman Bishop said. “By thinking outside the box, we are making very effective use of taxpayer dollars. This project will allow us to dredge Moriches Inlet one year earlier than we otherwise would have been able to; while making sure we protect two of Suffolk County’s most popular beaches.”

“This agreement is a creative triple-win for Suffolk County that will dredge a dangerously shallow inlet, replenish sand on public beaches, and protect infrastructure,” Senator Schumer said. “The 2007 Nor’easter delivered a devastating blow to the vulnerable beaches on Suffolk County’s south shore, and thankfully, FEMA answered our call to deliver sorely-needed emergency funding to replenish these cherished natural resources.”

“By using sand dredged from the Moriches Inlet to shore up our beaches at Smith Point and Cupsogue, we are expediting these efforts,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. “We are constantly looking for ways to apply efficiencies in government, and this thoughtful approach takes separate projects, involving many layers of government, and addresses them in a streamlined fashion.”

The permitting process for this project was just completed. Recently, the window for a dredging project has been shortened and expires on January 15. However, because of the scope of the project, Bishop and Schumer were able to get a permit for the project to be completed by March 31. This will ensure that the project can be done to completion and without unnecessary rushing. The Suffolk County Department of Public Works has gone out to bid on the project and retained Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC, whose bid came in within budget.

In total, the project will dredge 460,000 cubic yards of sand from Moriches Inlet. Approximately 150,000 cubic yards will be placed at Cupsogue while 310,000 cubic yards will be placed at Smith Point.

In total, the project required permits or sign-off from the following federal and state agencies: US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Park Service, FEMA, SEMO, NY Department of Environmental Conservation, and NY Department of State.

Maintenance dredging of the Moriches Inlet was last performed in February 2004. Approximately 250,250 cubic yards of material were removed from the channel at that time and deposited along the shoreline west of the jetty.