Long Awaited Coastal
Erosion Study Completed  

On August 30, 2006 the long awaited beach erosion study commissioned by the Town of Huntington and prepared by Ocean and Coastal Consultants Inc. was completed. The report, which is over 100 pages long, details historic erosion trends, and attempts to predict future erosion trends in the 2.75 mile long study area. One of the objectives of the study was to develop erosion control recommendations. 

Due to the widely varying variety of beach and upland features in the study area Ocean and Coastal Consultants divided the study area into eight different and distinct management zones, five of which are in Fort Salonga.  The local study zones run from Fresh Pond Beach on the east to Makamah Beach on the west. They include Fresh Pond Beach, Broken Ground, Geissler’s Beach, Makamah Beach – East, and Makamah Beach -  West.

A comparison of the beach width in the Fort Salonga area indicates a dramatic decrease over a fifty year period. The average beach width is approximately 55 feet at present, compared to 130 feet in 1947. The report states that “public use of the beach is currently limited by narrow beach widths in many areas.  This trend is expected to become worse, unless additional beach material can be added to the system. An important component of the management program will be replacing sediment lost to the system by bluff and shore protection structures.” A “critical beach erosion problem” exists on the eastern end of Makamah beach, which includes the Huntington town beach.  Unless storm protection measures are implemented in this section storm damage to residential properties in this area can be expected.

On a positive note, Ocean and Coastal Consultants stated that the beach nourishment program at Crab Meadow Beach has been a success in providing both public access and shore protection.

The report provides a solid framework for future coordinated erosion control efforts in the study area, and states that “Given the variable land-use (residential, commercial and public) collective coordination of individual stakeholders is a difficult task; however, documentation of the regional shoreline character included in this report is an important first step in unifying the coastal residents"

For the full text of the executive summary and the management recommendations section of the report Click Here.