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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.
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