The Army Corps of Engineers is recommending building berms along an 8,500-foot length of L.I. Sound coastline in Southold to manage coastal storm risk at Hashamomuck Cove by in a $17.8 million beach nourishment project that would require a $6.9 million contribution by an as-yet unidentified “non-federal partner.”
The project would consist of a 25-foot-wide berm in an area identified by the Army Corps as West Cove, a variable-width berm (25 to 75 feet) in Central Cove, and a 25-foot-wide berm in the East Cove. The beach fill would be built up to elevation of at least 6 feet to resemble an average natural elevation of existing shoreline.
In total, 160,000 cubic yards of sand from an “upland source” would be placed along the coastline: 34,000 cubic yards in West Cove; 56,000 cubic yards in Central Cove; and 70,000 cubic yards in East Cove.
The Army Corps of Engineers has released a draft report and environmental assessment for Hashamomuck Cove. A 30-day public comment period on the report and assessment is open through Sept. 16.
The beach nourishment/berm project is the Army Corps’ “Tentatively Selected Plan,” according to the documents posted on the agency’s website. It aims to address erosion to the Hashamomuck Cove shoreline from tropical storms and nor-easters, resulting in flood-prone upland areas leaving homes, roads and other structures vulnerable. At risk is County Road 48, identified as a “critical infrastructure link” on the North Fork.
The dimensions of the proposed berms are preliminary, the engineers said, and the final dimensions of the project would be determined as part of the optimization and feasibility design process to follow the public and agency reviews of the draft report, according to the plan.
The project depends on the identification and agreement of a “non-federal partner” to contribute an estimated $6.9 million toward provide a minimum of 35 percent of initial project costs for coastal and storm damage reduction, plus 100 percent of initial project costs for protecting undeveloped private lands and other private shores which do not provide public benefits, and 50 percent of periodic nourishment costs for coastal and storm damage reduction, plus 100 percent of periodic nourishment costs for protecting undeveloped private lands and other private shores which do provide public benefits.
The Army Corps of Engineers does not identify a non-federal partner that would participate in and share the costs of the project — but the federal contribution would be subject to such a cost-sharing arrangement, the plan says.
“The town will not be a local sponsor,” Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said. “That is a role the state or the county would need to take on.”
County Legislator Al Krupski said the release of the plan marks the beginning of a process and discussions about any county contribution to the cost may be premature.
“We are facing the same issues faced by the south shore, where the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to protect private property,” Krupski said. “We all live on an island and there is erosion all around us. These projects are very expensive. They’ve spent very little here compared to what they’ve spent on the south shore.”
“There’s another wrinkle here,” Krupski added. “When federal money is spent on a beach, public access has to be provided. I’m not sure how that’s going to be worked out.”
Russell said he would support the project “if it results in a substantial public benefit including public access and use of the new beach.”
Written comments must be submitted by Sept. 16 to:
Ms. Judith Johnson
Project Biologist
New England District Corps of Engineers
696 Virginia Rd. Concord, MA 01742-2751
P: (978) 318-8138
or by email to Judith.L.Johnson@usace.army.mil
